The Prince and the Pauper
by mewringo13
Summary: Link, the Crown Prince of Hyrule, just so happened to stroll through the market to find a slave dealer. He buys the girl he saw from him and freed her. Impa takes her under her wing as her apprentice. The years go by, and their relationship begins to deepen from brother and sister to something more. [Also posted on A03]
1. Pilot

It was another day in the life of the Crown Prince of Hyrule.

Link was hiding away from the royal tutors, he dressed down and went to Castle Town to escape the Castle, even for just a little bit.

He strolled through the market, watching the people whizz by him in the bazaar. There were many stalls lined up with goods from all over the kingdom: produce, jewellery, fine silks, hard beverages, and some sketchy things.

That's when he came across a vendor that was selling people. Link was disgusted with the idea of enslaving another person. He saw a young girl about his own age being shoved out to be displayed for the public. She was dressed in rags, and her hair looked like a rat's nest. Plus he could see several bruises and scrapes from the exposed skin. It looked as if the girl was lifeless, as if she was lacking a spark in her teal eyes.

"I'll buy her!" Link shouted to the vendor. It was obvious that he knew who Link was from his dirty blonde locks and cerulean blue eyes peeking from under his cloak.

"Can you pay up kid? She isn't going to come cheap," he replied curtly. The vendor knew that it wasn't in his best interest to argue with the Prince, so he played along.

"Darn straight! I can do that!" the Prince said as he handed over a lump sum of rupees. "She's mine now!" The vendor was baffled; he did not expect Link to cuss at him for the transaction.

 **XXXXX**

Link took his prize and lead her to the castle. "You're free now, I want you to live here. May I ask for your name?"

The girl looked up through the mess of her golden locks, "I-i don't have one…"

"Well, how about Zelda? It was my grandmother's name. I think it would suit you well."

It was then he saw her eyes light up like it was the first time she saw the light at the other end of the tunnel. "I like it… Thank you, Prince."

"Now that's settled- let's get you cleaned up," he smiled to her. He was going to have a lot of explaining to do to his father, the King, and his tutor Impa.

Impa was going to be the most forgiving. She was his bodyguard, his tutor, his advisor, his mother-figure. Being of the Shiekah, she was the most talented of her kin, and was tasked with the duty of tending to the prince. Yes, she was firm and taught tough love, but she doted on him, treating him as if he was her own son.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" Impa was waiting in his chambers, she saw the figure that stood behind Link, and understood immediately. "Who is that standing behind you?"

"Impa, she was being sold as a slave. I bought her freedom, so I offered to let her stay in the Castle. Could you help her?"

He knew he didn't have to ask, Impa had a soft spot for strays.

"What is your name, little one?" Impa asked, trying to coax out Zelda from Link's shadow.

She peeked over his shoulder, "I- I'm Zelda… Prince Link gave me the name…"

"And what a perfect name it is! Using his beloved grandmother's name is an honor, remember that little one," she said as she gave a warm smile in return. "How about I get you cleaned up… It looks like I am going to have my work cut out for me…" She took Zelda's hand and lead her to the bathing chambers. "Link, I expect you to finish the studies you missed. I want that pile of books and papers done by the time I'm done grooming her."

"Yes Ma'am," Link gave a quick reply, running to his desk that was piled with neglected texts and unfinished paperwork. The last time he didn't comply with her request, he went without dinner for his behavior.

 **XXXXX**

Impa spent the rest of the day getting Zelda's disheveled appearance cleaned up. Immediately her rags were stripped off of her and discarded, then pushed into the hot bath that was drawn up.

"Don't worry, little one, I'll have you cleaned up in no time," Impa said to give her some confidence. As soon as she began to scrub the grime and dirt away, she saw a marking on her hand. The same as the royal families' crest - the Triforce. The bottom left triangle was filled in, a sign of the Triforce of Wisdom. But, Impa decided to keep the discovery to herself so Zelda wasn't inundated with too many questions at once.

After a few minutes of silence as she soaked, Zelda spoke up, "Lady Impa… I'm truly grateful to the prince for his kindness to me… I want to repay him in someway… I don't want to be a freeloader… can you show me how to do the stuff you do?"

"What exactly do you want me to show you little one? I 'do' many things for our Prince."

"I… I want to… learn how to protect him, how to cook for him, things like that…" she trailed on, as her cheeks began to turn rosy.

"So young, yet you want to repay a debt? You must care a lot for him to want to learn how to fight." Zelda nodded in reply. " Alright, lessons will start tomorrow. You also will be in on Link's sessions as well. It is going to be tough, are you ready for it."

"Yes Lady Impa,"she replied giving a firmer nod and looking her straight into her eyes.

Once she was scrubbed clean, the soap suds were rinsed off and she was toweled off. Impa had some of the maids prepare a nightgown for her to wear.

"Oh no, I don't think I'm worthy to wear this… it looks too expensive for a lowly girl like me…"

"Zelda, you are worthy. Otherwise why did Link chose you. Don't cut yourself short, little one," Impa said as she fetched the gown and pulled it over her head. "If you are going to live here you are going to have to get used to wearing things like this."

"Yes ma'am."

"That's better, now let's see if I can untangle your hair…"

Impa sat her in front of a vanity with a sizeable mirror. She began with a comb to the rat's nest to start untangling her snarls. Luckily, it was working better than she hoped.

"Little Zelda, do you happen to have a birthday?"

"No… I'm afraid not…"

"Why don't we make today your birthday? The day that Link brought you here to the Castle, I think that would work as good as any." Zelda nodded in agreement, between the two of them, they have given her more than she has ever received while in captivity.

"T...thank..you, Lady Impa," she said as she turned to bow to Impa. "I'll cherish this day."

"Little one… you have no reason to be prostrating yourself to me. You are my protege after all." As soon as Zelda heard those words she lifted her head up and beamed to the Shiekah leading into a hug.

 **XXXXXX**

Link was just about finished with his neglected studies when Impa returned with Zelda from her bath. The little Prince blushed deeply as soon as he saw Zelda in her white nightgown and her hair groomed into a braid, revealing her features upon her face.

"Looks like the Prince agrees with me," she whispered into Zelda's ear. "Take a bit more pride in yourself. Since there isn't a room for you Zelda, I'm going to have you room with the Prince." Soon as she announced that, Link's blush deepened. She hit the nail right on the head with him. "I want you two to get some sleep tonight. Tomorrow is going to be a long day."

"Yes ma'am," the two children replied. Impa left the room and closed the door behind her.

"You can take the bed, Zelda. I can sleep on the floor," Link said to her. He was trying to practice being as good of a gentleman as his father is.

"Isn't... the stones cold? Why don't we share the bed? We can... keep each other warm…" Zelda replied quietly as she scooted over to the other side of the bed. Link could see that she was still naive, too innocent from her previous circumstances.

"O...okay… You win…"Link said begrudgingly. He hopped into the bed and pulled the covers over them and they went to sleep.

* * *

"LINK! GET BACK HERE!"

It had been ten years since that fateful day, Link has grown up to be a handsome young man. Still as tricky as ever when he was shirking from his duties as the Prince. He enjoyed these moments when he got Zelda's attention while she was out hunting him down.

During those years, Zelda had improved her self confidence by leaps and bounds- her life as a slave was a long forgotten memory. As Impa's apprentice, she was taught the ways of the Shiekah. Proficient with a variety of weapons and hand-to-hand combat, more capable than most of the royal guard and even the Prince himself. Impa taught her table etiquette as well as the ways of the royal court. Zelda even went as far as to take up the harp in her spare time, she often would spend time practicing in the courtyards. When she blossomed into adulthood, it was apparent to Link that she had became quite the beauty, and was the talk of the rest of the Castle staff.

Impa herself was getting on in years, and her age was beginning to catch up with her. Zelda was slowly taking over some of the more labor intensive tasks with the Prince. Hunting him down was one of them.

"Link! I will tie you to the chair if you do this again! Impa will NOT stop me from doing so!" She hollers though the castle courtyards. That was his breaking point. Link surrendered as he walked towards her voice.

"Fine! I give up! You found me!" He had his hands up with a goofy grin plastered on his raspberry colored face as he blushed.

Zelda put her hands on her hips and gave a long sigh. "Impa is too old to be doing this anymore, just grow up already, Link."

"But I hardly see you anymore. Between your training and my lessons, we barely have a few moments together…"

It was clear that the two were like brother and sister, at least to Zelda. Link on the other hand, had been smitten with her since that first day they met in the marketplace.


	2. Chapter 2 In the Mood

_One evening after putting the two children to bed, Impa went to the King's Quarters and had a private conversation with him._

" _Your Majesty, your son went to the market, bought a slave girl, and asked her to stay at the castle."_

" _Intriguing… What do you think about her?"_

" _I spent sometime tending to her. She was like a ragdoll, but her heart was in the right place. I have taken her on as a protege in hopes that she could take my place someday. While I was bathing her I found a particular birthmark on the back of her hand. My king, I think she is the bearer of the lost piece of the Triforce."_

" _Is that so? The Triforce of Wisdom has been absent for several generations of the Royal family. Link himself is the vessel of the Hero's spirit and the Triforce of Courage along with it. He is destined to protect the one who wields Wisdom from the corrupted hands of the Daemon King."_

" _I fear that the end is neigh, My King. I will begin to train the two to protect each other, as a way to prepare for the worst."_

" _Excellent plan Impa, I look forward to the fruits of your labors."_

" _Thank you, Your Majesty. I then shall bid you a good evening."_

* * *

Link was soon to be coming of age to inherit the throne, but the King did not want to retire quite so soon. His son still had a ways to go before he was mature enough to handle more duties. That meant he needed to prove himself in order to succeed the crown.

"Impa, I want your report. How is the training going?"

"Zelda is a quick study, at first she was behind Link with her studies, but she now has surpassed him."

"And what of Link?"

"He has been falling behind. I often see that Zelda goes to fetch him from his hiding spot in the courtyard when he wants to avoid his lessons."

"I am afraid to say this though but, it's getting to be that time that I should retire from the throne. I want Link to be prepared to handle the challenges of ruling a country."

"Yes sir."

"I also have in mind to have Zelda be betrothed to Link. He needs somebody by his side that will support him when it the job gets overwhelming. I also want the bloodline of the goddess to return to the royal family as it should be."

"I understand my King. Shall we announce this at a gala?"

"It's not a bad idea Impa. Best that we keep the news from the two of them till that evening."

"Good thinking sir. I will do my best to keep the two of them in the dark."

That morning after Zelda chased Link out to the practice field, Impa greeted them with a surprise.

"His majesty has let me know that we are going to be holding a gala in the castle."

"The King did? What's the reason?" Zelda asked.

"I think it's in celebration of the summer solstice. Right?"

"You're correct Link. And with a gala there is going to be music. That means you two need to know how to dance. Properly."

"Gotcha."

"So I regret to postpone our usual training till the gala has passed. Zelda this is your first public event you've attended, no?"

"Yes Lady Impa."

"I want this to be your official reveal to the public. Link, I want you to be her dancing partner for this exercise. By the end of the week, you will know how to properly dance a waltz and a few other popular varieties."

"Yes ma'am," The two replied.

Impa moved them into the castle, there was a quiet spacious room available inside. Zelda found the gramophone and one of the old records of classical music to use. Sure it was nothing like a live band, but it would work for their rehearsals.

"Link you need to lead the dance," Impa said as she directed his hands. One to the small of her back and the other held her free hand. Zelda naturally placed her other arm on his shoulder. "Alright now let's try to do a basic waltz."

Link's face began to turn beet red from the close contact with Zelda. They were close all the time as kids, though this was different. He couldn't keep his attention to his motions as he danced because he was so focused with the mesmerizing details of Zelda's features. His eyes followed every feature till-

"OUCH! What was that for?" Zelda snapped. Link misstepped and trampled her foot.

"Sorry... " he mumbled back to her. The color on his face deepened from his embarrassment.

"Let's try that again. One, two, three. One, two, three..."Impa said starting the beat once again for them.

"Just relax, you look too stiff. You need to breathe otherwise you're going to pass out," Zelda said as she got a glimpse of his scarlet face. Sometimes she wasn't very good at reading the mood.

"R..right," he said as he took in a deep breath.

"A prince isn't supposed to look like that when they are locked arms into a dance, Link…"

"Look like what?" He asked, his face still a deep crimson blush as he averted his gaze from her piercing eyes, "N...nevermind…"

By the end of the week, the two of them were more than prepared to present themselves to the public gala, neither were the wiser of the things to come.

* * *

 **A/N:** If you like the story please leave a comment! Once I see enough interest, I'll get to writing the next entry~


	3. Chapter 3 Don't Ask Me Why

The night of the gala was fast approaching, the dancing lessons were going splendidly. But there was one blaring point, neither Link nor Zelda had anything appropriate to wear.

The last time Link had to wear his royal regalia was years ago, he quickly outgrew his suit after his latest growth spurt. Zelda on the other hand wasn't so fond of wearing skirts and frilly things, she didn't even own so much as a skirt in her wardrobe. It was time to pay a visit to the royal tailor.

As they were flipping through various books of dress designs, Link spotted something.

"Zelda I think this would look good on you."

"What? That frilly thing? No thanks," she flat out rejected a pink chiffon ball gown.

"Alright," he flipped through a few more pages of the catalog and came across something more elegant, "How about this?" he pointed to a navy blue dress.

"Fine," she mumbled. There was no way of getting out of this, Impa would make sure of that.

"I think this would look divine on you Zelda, the Prince seems to have good taste," Impa commented as she tagged along with the two of them.

While Link and Zelda were busy deciding on the design of his regalia, Impa pulled the tailor aside to have a private word with them, "We're going to be announcing their engagement at the event- please, make sure their clothes are just right for their big day…" the tailor gave a quick wink and a nod.

The afternoon was spent getting measurements done after choosing the basic designs of their formal attire, they went out for a stroll through the bustling market. A few of the owners gave out tokens of appreciation to their Prince. Link happened to be a favorite of the commoners. Impa and Zelda had their arms full of pastries, fresh produce from across the kingdom, and various gems and jewelry from the silversmiths in town.

As soon as they were finished with dinner, it was time again to practice. Since they started over a week ago, Link has mastered the waltz and not stepping on Zelda's feet anymore. The jives and swing songs still gave him some trouble with their quick paced tempos.

"C'mon Link, get your act together! You're the Prince after all!" Impa shouted as soon as he began to falter with his form.

Link was still on the floor after tripping on his two left feet while trying to dance to some big band swing, "Yeah, Yeah I know. Since I'm a royal I need to act graceful…"

"That's hardly the point- you need to get your head out of the clouds," Zelda started with her lecture, "And… why can't you keep your eyes on me? Is there something wrong with my face?"

A deep crimson blush dyed his cheeks as he glanced away, "N-n-nothing's wrong- Wh-why'd you say that? You're fine, honestly… don't worry about it..."

"You say one thing but your face says something completely different," Impa was standing in the corner observing their progress.

"Something's up…" Zelda cornered Link, it didn't take much for her to overpower him. He learned to not resist when she got like that.

"I-i-i-i swear- It's nothing!" as he spoke up Zelda's eyes narrowed. He wasn't going to fess up.

"Well I think you two have had enough for today- time to get cleaned up and head to bed. Now off you go, chop-chop!" Impa shooed the two teenagers out of the hall.

"Uh… does she…? Y'know… think we're an item?"

"Who knows… She's been acting strange lately… I wonder if something else is up…"

"Well anyways… One of the jewelers in Castle Town gave me a set of earrings… But I don't have my ears pierced, want to help me?" Link dug through one of his pockets to pull out a pair of aquamarine hoops; they were simple in design, the exact hue of his irises, but they looked beautiful against his brunette locks.

"I suppose I can. Otherwise you might end up doing it wrong and skewer your ears trying," she sighed when it came to changing anything on his person, it was best if he had some supervision. "Why did you want to do this? It's going to hurt a lot…"

"I feel like a change, almost a little rebellious in a way."

"Alright rebel, I'll help. Let me grab a few things and I'll meet you in your chambers," she spun her heels to head to the kitchen.

 _Okay, I'm going to need an apple to stick behind his earlobe...Something to disinfect the needle, and probably something to numb the area… Silly Link, now of all times you want to act out… I think he's definitely going to regret this…_

Zelda gathered the few things she needed plus a bucket of ice, and made her way back to Link. He was sitting at his desk, finishing up a few notes in his journal.

"Are you ready for this?" she asked worriedly, but Link gave her an affirmative nod. He took a few pieces of ice out of the bucket and held it up to his lobe. Zelda chunked up the apple she brought with, followed by dipping the needle into some alcohol.

Once his ear was comfortably numb, Zelda set an apple slice behind the desired target. Link went ahead and wedged in a cloth into his mouth just in case he needed to bite down or muffle his sobs. The rest of the castle didn't need to know that he was a wimp to any sort of pain.

She grabbed the needle still dripping with alcohol, "Here we go- Three… Two… One!" he took in a sharp breath as she plunged the needle into the fleshy part of his ear. She went through till she hit the piece of fruit on the other side, successfully piercing it. She withdrew the needle, and soon a drop of blood began to bead from the wound. Zelda fumbled for a moment till she got the earring in place.

Link was still recoiling from the pain of the needle, but he needed to be strong. He was not finished yet. Zelda was about to start on the other ear when he realized that he didn't prepare the other.

So much for trying to be strong- Zelda once again plunged the needle into his not so numbed flesh. He pulled away from here with the needle and fruit still attached to his ear.

He took out the gag he placed in his mouth, "Sweet Hylia! That hurt's like a son of a-"

"Ah! I told you it was going to hurt. Now you're going to have to keep those in till it has healed, no matter if it bothers you or not. Please sit back down you look ridiculous with that apple hanging from your ear…"

He groaned and sat back down begrudgingly, folding his arms with a scowl on his face. Zelda took the needle out of his ear and fitted the other hoop in it's place. Both ears were crusted with dried blood, so she used the remaining alcohol to clean off the gunk that accumulated.

 _I'm glad Zelda did it for me…_ he thought, _Impa would have made shish-kebabs if she did it, and if my father found out… Woo boy, I don't want to think of that... At least the worst is over now…_

Impa walked in to check on Link, and all the color drained from his face. The throbbing pains from his ears was long forgotten when he saw her face.

"What on Hylia's green earth did you do to your ears?!" she exclaimed. He gulped and braced himself for the tongue-lashing of the century.

He bowed his head in embarrassment, "I-i-i wanted to wear those earrings that I got from that jeweler today… I asked Zelda to pierce my ears… I hoped it would make me look tougher…"

He shut his eyes tightly waiting for his punishment, but he heard a hearty laugh from Impa. Link snapped his eyes open, confused as to why his caretaker was laughing at his reasoning.

"You don't need earrings to prove that you're tough… We all know you're a flake when it comes to bodily harm."

"That reminds me of the time he was running away from his lessons and wound up in the rose gardens and came back full of scrapes and thorns stuck to your clothes."

"That's not funny! I toughed it out a lot better this time around!"

"No you didn't- you were cursing to Hylia as you had a chunk of apple hanging from your ears." Zelda butted in, and his cheeks flushed red hot.

"Come on Zelda- you're supposed to help me!"

A smirk came across her face as she hummed, "Not a chance." Impa roared with another spirited laugh. He shot a scowl towards the two of them. "Relax, and untwist thy panites, your highness," Zelda sarcastically spoke. But he only fumed in a huff.

Link rushed over to Zelda with his arms swinging, but it was to no avail. Being a late bloomer meant that her arms were longer than his at that moment. They stopped just short of striking distance of her bosom. She simply held her arm out with her hand on his forehead while he tired himself out swinging wildly.

Once he let off some steam, Zelda smooched his forehead and tousled his messy hair, much to Link's annoyance.

"Good night my little prince," she purred to him as she began to leave for her quarters.

"I'm not a child - we're the same age!"

"Yeah, yeah. Then act like it," she said as she left the room.

"But, I am- at least I'm trying to act like an adult…" he said to himself, alone in his chambers.


	4. Chapter 4 Bella Notte

"Okay you two, take five!" Impa shouted. Link and Zelda had another successful day of dancing. The prince was sitting on a chair in the corner of the room, huffing and sweating buckets. Zelda on the other hand barely broke a sweat- she was ready for another ten rounds at least.

"You alright over there Link? The gala is tomorrow after all…" Zelda asked as she walked over to hand Link a cold drink. "I can't have you pass out on me from exhaustion, so don't over do it, okay?"

He nodded as he drank the cool beverage. It was just the thing to hit the spot, quenching his thirst and cooling to his core, but not reviving his ambition for another go, "Thank you kindly, Zelda. I think I'm going to take Impa's advice and take a bath. I'm all sticky and gross…" He got back onto his feet and shuffled out of the hall.

"I think he's improved since we started. But his head is still in the clouds… What do you think Impa?"

"Hrmm, it's going to have to do for tomorrow. Just keep an eye on him."

"Right."

"Now go and get cleaned up for bed! You've got a big day tomorrow!"

"Yes ma'am," she yawned and waltzed out of the hall. Link was using the baths at the moment, then it was soon to be her turn. _I doubt it will take Link very long to finish cleaning himself up. He worked himself pretty hard… must be raring to go for tomorrow though… I kinda wonder what kind of things go on during the summer solstice celebration? I guess I will find out soon enough…_

* * *

Zelda arrived at her quarters and began to remove her soiled clothes, soon found her bath wrap to cover up before she arrived in the bathing chambers.

She noticed that she couldn't see nor hear anybody in the bath, so she proceeded into the steamy chambers and descended her body into the scalding waters. Every muscle was loosening up and relaxing from the abuse and work she put in during the day.

"Is someone there?" a familiar voice ran out from the other side of the thick fog. It was thick enough to make it difficult to discern anything out of an arm's reach.

Zelda gasped and sunk into the bathwater, "Link- you're still here?!"

"Yeah, I must have lost track of the time. The bath was feeling too wonderful tonight," he mumbled as he scooted in the direction of her voice.

"Stay over there! We aren't children anymore. What if somebody sees us?" she tried to swim away, but was cornered.

"Let them," Link spoke up, "I just want to spend some time with you- alone."

"Fine," she sighed, "I suppose the steam is thick enough for neither of us to see anything indecent."

The two spent some time in the baths sitting next to each other and enjoying the echo of the babbling waters.

"...are you nervous for tomorrow?" Link asked to break the silence in the room.

"Who wouldn't be?" she joked, "It's probably one of the few times I'll be dolled up for a fancy party with the nobles, and I don't want to make a fool of myself."

The two let out a good hearty laugh that rang through the walls of the baths without a care as to who might come in and see what the noise was about.

"I know what you mean," Link squeaked out after splitting a gut with his laughter and wiping away a stray tear that was about to fall from his eye, "Don't sweat it though- it's okay to lean on me, I'm here for you."

"Thank you, you're too sweet," Zelda hummed, "I think I've spent enough time soaking. I'll head back to my room now."

"Anytime Zelda, I'll see you in the morning..." Link faced away from her for a moment to give her some privacy while she climbed out of the water into the steaming mists. He sat back into the water and listened for her watery steps as she left.

* * *

When Zelda arrived back in her room, she leaned up on the closed door, and took a moment to reflect on what just happened. After moping around her room for some time, she glanced over to the dress that Link picked out for her to wear. She felt warmth rising from her chest and flooding her cheeks after replaying a few of his lines in her head.

"I can do this… I can do this…" she tried to pep herself up for the gala, "No reason to be nervous- Nervousness shows weakness…"

Zelda dressed herself for bed, sat down and took a few deep breaths to meditate just like Impa showed her. _In and out, in and out..._

She was lost in thought, when she heard a gentle knock at her door, "Can I come in?"

Link quietly stepped in and sat down next to her on the bed, "I'm sorry about being so forward in the baths… It was inappropriate of me to be like that…"

"No, it was my fault, I should've asked if you were done rather than jump on in," Zelda replied looking intently at his cerulean eyes. A split second later, she started with another fit of laughter, "Seriously, I'll be fine tomorrow, don't worry. I think I should be worried about you," she said as she flicked his earlobes that were still healing from getting pierced.

"Yeowch! That still smarts…" Link winced as he held his throbbing ear in his hand.

"I think it's time to hit the hay, we should get some rest for the big day."

"Right… Good Night Zelda," he excused himself and left her quarters, gently closing her door as he exited.

* * *

"Zelda, it's time to get up!" Impa was in her room and opened her curtains to let the morning sun flood into her room.

A flash of the light was all she needed to stir from her slumber, "Hnn?"

"We've only got this morning to prepare for the gala this evening! You need to get groomed for tonight."

"Alright, I'm up," she yawned and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, "Where to?"

"First things first- your hair… it's a mess," Impa pointed to the rat's nest of a bed head.

Zelda reached up to touch her golden locks, and noticed the mess atop of her head, "Okay, I'll grab my brush…"

She sat down in front of her vanity and handed Impa her brush. Impa went to work straightening out the snarled mess from her long blonde hair. In no time at all her hair was once again straight without any tangles and gleaming in the sunlight.

"So what do you think will go best with my dress?"

"I think we'll have the beautician make that decision, they should be up here within the hour."

There was a quick rap on the door, "Well speak of the devil."

The beautician sauntered in and began to set up in her room. Countless containers spread all over the top of her vanity, and boxes with many varieties of hair accessories and jewellery.

"What have you got in mind for our lady good sir?" Impa asked.

"I'm going to be her fairy godmother and turn her into a firecracker to stun the audience tonight~" he beamed, "She'll even dazzle the prince after I'm through with her."

"Trust me- that won't be a problem," Impa smiled in reply. "Well, I'll leave you to it then." She left Zelda's quarters to check in on Link, who was probably still fast asleep.

"Alright now it's time to work my magic- let me see what your dress looks like for starters."

"I leave myself in your capable hands," Zelda beamed.

* * *

Impa soon arrived at Link's chambers, "How much sleep did you get last night?"

He was sitting in a ball on the edge of his bed, his knees were clutched tight to his chest, "I don't know… I think I barely slept- I know Zelda said not to worry, but I can't calm my nerves…"

"I've got just the thing to calm you down. While it's brewing, I want you to sit at your desk and give me some deep breaths, okay?"

"Yes ma'am," he stretched out and walked over to take a seat at his desk, and gently closed his eyes and inhaled a few deep breaths.

Impa slipped out of his room to run down to the kitchens to grab a pot of boiling water for her tea blend, and a set of cups to pour.

Returning to Link's room, she found him fast asleep on top of his desk with a puddle of drool under his head and peacefully snoring. Impa left a cup of the tea on his desk and left him to catch up on his lost sleep. He was going to need less preening that Zelda for the gala.

She went back to Zelda's quarters and found that the beautician was almost finished with her hair, soon to be working on her makeup. Her hair was braided with fresh flowers and swept to her shoulder.

If this wasn't going to turn heads, nothing would.

Impa stood in the corner of her room for a few hours as she observed Zelda's transformation, she was quickly turned from a servant to something resembling a noble.

Link soon walked into her room to check in on her soon after he woke up from his nap. His face soon betrayed his words when he saw her sitting on her chair getting dolled up. She wasn't quite finished, although stunning nonetheless.

"You... look great…" Link bashfully mumbled as soon as he got his bearings straight. His face was still as red as rubies and tilted to the ground. He reached his hand and scratched the nape of his neck to calm his nerves.

"She's going to look even better when I'm done with her~"

Impa moved from her corner, "Link I think it's time to get ready, I'll help you get groomed," she said as she herded the prince back to his chambers.

"I'm sixteen, I am old enough to dress myself Impa…" he argued as he was pushed out of her quarters. But his words fell on deaf ears, "Zelda, help me!"

"Sorry, Link. She's got a point- plus my hands are tied at the moment…" she hummed as her makeup was being applied to her face. He moaned as he was shoved through the threshold of her door and it was slammed shut.

* * *

Link was dragged back to his chambers, kicking and sort of screaming. It was embarrassing for a young man to need help to get dressed by one of the castle servants.

"Impa, I can dress myself, I don't need any help."

"If I didn't pull you out, you would have sat there gawking at her till it was time."

Link sulked a bit, but it was true- he would have soaked up the image of her dressed up and just stunningly beautiful till the last minute before the gala.

He went to his closet and pulled out his new regalia- a green, double-breasted, button up suit with golden pauldrons and various ribbons attached to his breast pocket signifying his social status, completed with a long, floppy green cap- a signature item of his.

He put on the khaki dress slacks and his white cotton shirt, and sat down at his desk while Impa brushed out his shaggy caramel locks and tied them together in a matching green ribbon. Link slipped on his overcoat and donned his cap. Impa assisted him with attaching his pauldrons, and within the hour, he was ready; it was time to go.

Link was in the main hall, greeting and mingling with the guests. Many of them were commenting on his attire or how much he has grown since they last saw him. The prince was taking them well, or bashfully smiling from the shower of compliments. _I wonder what's keeping Zelda? She should be here any minute now… Unless, father was having a private word with her? It's possible..._

Zelda was waiting for the moment they announced her arrival to the hall, she was peering through the curtains concealing her presence, _Deep breaths, we can do this, just breathe…_

Then her moment in the spotlight came, " _May I have your attention, please. Lady Zelda has arrived."_

She took in a deep breath, and gracefully walked down the staircase as all the heads turned towards her. But her attention was only on Link.

The look on his face told her that he was awestruck- no more than that. Like Link saw the most beautiful thing in the world before his very eyes. He had a scrap of food dangling from his mouth as he stood and stared as she walked to where he stood.

She giggled as she saw him gawking at her, his mouth slowly agape like a stunned deer being hunted, "You look silly, Link."

"I'm sorry, it's just… you… you… you look wonderful tonight…" he said as he scarfed down the morsel of food hanging from his lips, he was beyond embarrassed, "Sorry… let's eat…"

"Quit being so apologetic, you're making yourself look like a newborn lamb- weak and helpless."

Link swallowed the lump that formed in his throat and gave a quick cough to clear it, "R-right. Shall we?"

"Of course, lead the way my prince," she purred as she stepped aside and gestured him towards the spread of food on the buffet tables. Link and Zelda went to load up their plates with scrumptious dishes- Link's pile was much higher than her was, he couldn't let this opportunity pass him by. These were the times the chefs went all out with their dishes to impress the common folk.

They found their seats at the head table, next to the King and Impa, and dug into their plates of food. Zelda was minding her manners and taking dainty petite bites, meanwhile Link was shoveling as if he had moments left to live.

Once the rest of the attendees were settled and nearly finished tucking into their meals, the King stood up and knocked his silverware to his goblet to get the crowd's attention. The bustling white noise suddenly became so quiet that a person could hear a pin drop.

"I have a splendid announcement to make. As you know we've taken in an orphan, our fair Lady Zelda, over ten years ago. As you can see- she has grown into a fine young lass," he boomed and the audience broke out in a resounding cheer, "This may be unorthodox, but I would like to announce that my son, your crown prince, will be engaged to be wed to her ladyship. I assure you this is a boon for our kingdom, albeit the reasons for this arrangement will be kept private, for certain reasons. Please give the two a round of applause. May Hylia bless this union."

Link and Zelda stood up after the King motioned them to do so, and took a bow in respect for the overwhelming support. After the crowd calmed down, the two quickly excused themselves from the main hall.

"WHAT?" they both exclaimed at the same time while exchanging glances.


	5. Chapter 5 Holding out for a Hero

They both leaned into each other with shock plastered on their were expecting an announcement of that magnitude to happen. They could still hear the King's speech from the hall, "The wedding is set for two years from now when the two will be consenting adults in accordance to the law of our fair kingdom."

Zelda leaned in to whisper into Link's ear, "You're more of my brother than a fiancee! I'm sure there's gotta be another reason for this…"

"Knowing my father there probably is… But in all honesty… I would take you over any of the other maidens from the other noble families…" he replied as he tried to put his feelings into words.

For the longest time, the Prince was crushing over the girl he saved all those years ago, only to watch her blossom into womanhood gracefully. None of the other possible candidates compared to her both in beauty and intellect. The two were like a match made by Hylia herself. Zelda was everything that he wasn't- confident, gallant and spoke her mind, but deep in his gut he felt a touch of remorse because Princes are supposed to strike awe into the crowds. Sure he was adored by the commoners, but that wasn't the same attention that he hoped.

In those ten years they grew up together, he grew to be tall, but when comparing himself with the other boys that were taken on as paige's, he was a beanpole- a scrawny and slender androgynous figure. Plus, keeping his hair longer made it more difficult for new castle staff to discern whether they were truly serving a prince or a princess.

 _That's it, I'll just have to make her fall for me. I've got two years to make an impression on her… Maybe I should ask the captain of the guard if I can train with the trainees and hopefully look a little less…. Like this..._

After calming down from the sudden news, Link and Zelda returned to the gala. Soon the attendant spoke up after getting the audience's attention, "I would like to let you know that the music will begin shortly. Prince Link and Lady Zelda will have the first dance in honor of their engagement, and afterwards the floor will be open to anyone else that wishes to also partake in the festivities is welcome to do so. Thank you."

"Link, you ready?" Zelda nudged the Prince out of his daze. He had a distaste for the spotlight, and tonight was no exception.

"Wha- Oh… I guess so. I have not heard what song we're going to be dancing to. I promise I'll keep my head out of the clouds and keep focused."

"Good, now shall we make our way to the dance floor?"

"Of course, Milady." he replied as he offered his hand to her.

"Don't call me that, I'm not a noble and it doesn't feel right."

"Whatever you say, Zelda…" he hummed quietly.

The crowd went silent as the two walked to the center of the floor. Link took up his proper form, and Zelda followed suit. They could hear the swift tap of the conductor's baton, and the orchestra held their position, ready for their cue. Link held his breath, _Please let it be something easy..._

A wave of the baton and a few measures of the opening song told him all that he needed to know: it's a waltz. _Thank Hylia…_ he thought as he relaxed into the beat of the rhythm, and began to lead Zelda in a three step waltz. He began to count the measures in tempo to keep himself grounded, _One, two, three… one, two, three… We've got this. We can do this._

Link took a moment to take a glance at Zelda. She was stoic, which was a normal face for her if she was deeply concentrating on something, she quickly saw his gaze and returned it with a warm smile. If it was just for show, or if she really meant it, the Prince wasn't too sure himself.

And they danced, forgetting what had just happened then and there. The music had a trance-like melody that would make anyone lose track of the time that had passed by. Once they music reached its final fermata, they let go of their tight formation and returned to the head table.

"Wonderful work my boy! Seems like Impa can still teach you a few new things now and again." the King said as he gave a hearty pat on Link's back in congratulations for his footwork.

"Thanks father," Link replied quietly as he sat back down at his spot. Soon the audience began to leave their seats and make their way to the floor.

"Zelda my dear, you were stunning out there as well. Might I ask for a dance as well?"

"It would be an honor, my king," she obliged and bowed her head in respect. He took her hand and left Link to rest at the table.

He could hear the music playing once again, something bright and cheerful, something that was clashing with the turmoil and conflict inside his mind as he sat and watched her dance with his father. _What is wrong with me? This is what I've always wanted, but I'm not too sure myself. Does she also feel the same for me as I do for her? Is she just following orders and putting on a face for me? Gah, I don't know what to think right now…_

The music quickly ended and Zelda returned to see Link moping as he played with his plate of food. Something was up with him, "Hey why the long face? Do you want to talk about it? C'mon let's head out to the rose gardens where it's a bit more quiet," she pestered him till he rose out of his seat and followed her out of the hall. They could still hear the fading sounds of a ballad the orchestra was playing as they went out into the gardens. Zelda sat down on the bench in the central plaza next to the water fountain. From every angle here, there were oceans of roses in bloom - reds, whites, pinks, and other miscellaneous colors that dotted the sea of green hedges surrounding the plaza.

"Alright, nobody's around… I know that face you just made inside. What exactly is going on?"

"I...uh… I…" he tried to speak but the words just wouldn't come out. _Pull yourself together, and just spill it!_ He swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat and took in a deep breath as he turned to her, " I've loved you since the day I found out in the market… When my father announced our engagement, I felt so elated beyond words…But now I'm not too sure about all of this…" His hold in the lump in his throat was faltering.

"What? You're scared cause I don't like you back? Link, you worry way too much-" she stopped as soon as she saw his eyes tear up and his nose was dripping with snot, "...and you're crying?"

"I-i-i'm not upset… I… I couldn't be... happier…" he managed to speak between the hiccups and sobs, "This… this was what… I… I hoped for you… all those years ago…"

"I'm glad to hear those are tears of joy, but you look like a mess. Let's head back inside to clean you up."

Link wiped the tears and snot running down his face, his eyes were red and puffy from the hot tears stinging his skin as they fell, his nose was tomato red and still dripping uncontrollably like a leaky faucet. The two got up and Zelda let him to a washroom to let him calm down.

Once the puffiness subsided enough, they returned to the great hall to find the party was still going on. The King was on the dancefloor wildly whipping Impa across the floor as they danced to an impossibly fast-paced gallop. The sight of their monarch tipsy and having the time of his life was enough to start a giggle fit.

"Would you do me the honor of another dance, Zelda?"

"I'd be happy to, Link."

He grasped her hand tightly and joined the crowd on the floor and reveled in the celebration. His talk with Zelda lifted a heavy burden that was weighing him down and preventing him from enjoying the summer festival to the fullest.

As soon as dusk fell, some of the castle staff shot off some fireworks in the gardens. The red rockets soared up into the black sky. With a quick pop, they bloomed against the dark back drop of the twilight hour. Again and again, the sky was painted with streaks of reds, greens, white and yellow lights, only leaving a husk of smoke as they flashed and disappeared like lightning.

Once the grand finale was over, the guests soon departed back to Castle Town for the night. Zelda and Link soon parted ways. Once Zelda arrived at her quarters, she soon found out her belongings were no longer there.

She ran over to Link's Chambers to find that all of her things were moved while they were attending the gala. Impa was there helping the Prince shuffle her things around to make more room.

"Now that you two are set to be engaged, the King ordered you two to share Link's quarters. No ifs ands or buts about it," she said curtly and quickly left the room.

"Well, this just keeps on getting better and better…" Zelda muttered to herself. Link was turning into a red tomato from what just happened, and he was in too deep of a daze to even be able to speak, "I'll use the closet to change into my nightgown, no peeking Link." He just turned his reddened face over to her and nodded, then fixed his gaze back to the spot on the floor he was examining earlier.

It took here just a few moments of going through her belongings before she found her nightie and changed out of her formal dress. Link just sat there and listened to the noises emanating from beyond his closet door. His legs turned into jelly and he was having a difficult time balancing himself on his feet.

"Aren't you going to get dressed?" Zelda asked the blushing ball on the bed, "...nevermind, let me help you."

She walked over to the bed where Link sat and helped him to his feet. But his legs quickly gave out and he collapsed back onto the bed, "Come on Link! Work with me here!"

"Sorry, I don't think I can stand, can you help me some more?"

"I guess I've got no choice…" she giggled and she began to tease the ivory buttons on his dress shirt apart. Once he was freed he let the shirt slide off of his shoulders to the bed sheets below. Then she unbuttoned his slacks and he kicked them off after wriggling out of them far enough, "Can you handle the rest?" He nodded as he was sitting on the bed in his briefs and undershirt, "I'll step out for a moment then."

Link inhaled, stepped up and found his footing. He removed his undergarments and changed into a fresh pair of pajamas.

Zelda returned to see that he was out of his formal wear, and ready for bed. His usual sleepwear was only a pair of lounge pants, foregoing any kind of shirt. His topless body was pleasing to her eyes, hardly scarred or even the faintest hint of freckles, and although he was scrawny, there was some faint hints of muscle definition over his torso.

"Ah Link- you've still got your hair tie in. Sit down and I'll pull it out and brush it before we hit the hay."

He did as he was told and sat down in the bed. Zelda took a seat next to him and began to work on his dirty blonde hair. The strands fell around his face as soon as she pulled the bow in the ribbon binding his hair. She quickly got to work with her brush, straightening out his tangled mess- his hair was silky to the touch as she ran her fingers through his caramel threads. Link winced once in awhile when she started to tug at some stubborn snarls.

"Alright I think that should do it. How about we retire for the night?"

"Okay, but I'm going to sleep on the floor…"

"Not a chance, Link. C'mon it'll be like the old days."

"Far from it, we're technically enga-" he stopped when Zelda began to pout from being denied a simple request, "Fine, you win. Together it is."

They curled up in the bed. Link spooned Zelda into a tight embrace, "I've always wanted to do this…" he said as he buried his face in her honey colored locks and inhaled her scent. She smelled sweet and fragrant, and it drove his mind wild.

"Um, what… what was that? I feel something hard behind me…"

"It's just my body showing you that I want you… But I won't do anything unless you ask for it."

"Well then do your worst, my Prince. Tonight and from now on, I'm all yours."


	6. Chapter 6 Time after Time

"Do your worst Prince. Tonight and from now on I am yours."

He couldn't be happier with himself- soon to be married to his best friend, life was feeling good. But tonight wasn't the time to be hasty.

"I'm not going to push it further tonight, we've got all the time in the world. If you'll excuse me, I need to take care of some business…"

"R-right... see you in a few," she said as he shuffled out from under the sheets, the bed soon felt much bigger and cold without his presence.

Link wandered through the empty halls for awhile till he reached the washroom to 'let some air out of the tire' and cool his head. He wandered around till he lost his way, _I've never been down this way before… It feels like something's… calling me…_

He came outside to a small grove, in the middle stood an ornate blade in a carefully crafted stone chock. "That's strange, I didn't know there was another garden in the grounds- and this blade, it feels vaguely familiar to me…"

As he approached the glaive, it began to glow with an unearthly blue and a little voice spoke into his mind, _It's good to see you again, Master._

"Who was that? Who's speaking to me?"

 _I am Master. It's me right in front of you…_

"The sword? But that's impossible. Swords don't talk to people, nor are sentient. Are you…?"

 _I am the Master Sword, Fi. I was created by the goddesses and forged to my current state by you- It seems like you've forgotten your past memories, allow me to help you, Master Link._

"Past memories? The goddesses? I don't understand…" he grasped the purple hilt and memories of the sword poured into his mind. A blue figure dressed in the motif of the sword itself came to guide him through the torrent of memories.

 _I first met you in the age of the goddess, Hylia. We fought against the Daemon King, Demise, and won, but you didn't make it to the patch of land her holiness lifted skyward and died in her arms. I was locked inside of a temple till I sensed your spirit in a young knight trainee centuries later after the colony became known as Skyloft and the land below was only spoken of as myths. After we sealed Demise again, I was thrusted into this chock, and my consciousness faded._

 _Millenia later, I met you once again. This time you were a young boy accompanied with a fairy from the forest. I deemed you too young and I used my powers to put you into a seven year slumber till you were strong enough to wield me. Somehow Demise reincarnated into the form of the sole Gerudo male of the tribe. His form was driven by greed and it was his downfall. After you encountered him, he transformed into a hideous beastly swine. After wearing him down, you plunged me through his skull and ending him. Sadly, the princess at the time wanted you to have you at least have your childhood back. She used some mysterious force to bring you back before it happened, and you prevented the tragedy from happening. I was returned to my place in the temple and your fairy companion flew off in a goodbye._

 _You didn't reincarnate for another century, and the land was once again in turmoil. A thick black fog descended on the lands, you came to me after being cursed with your beast form - of that of a wolf. The light from my blade lifted the curse and you regained your true form and took me along with as you gathered these pieces of a mirror. Once again Ganondorf returned after being exiled into the Twilight Realm. He was relentless with his assault on you, using her holiness as a mere puppet, and even went on a rampage in his beastly form. But soon afterwards, a duel decided the fate of Hyrule, with some dumb luck, you managed to overpower him and plunged me through his heart. He still stood as his life force was draining out of him, not even faltering once he succumbed to his wound. You returned me to my pedestal in what once was my temple in the great southern Faron Woods._

 _The last time I saw you, you were just a small child wandering through the Lost Woods. I nearly forgot how much time passed since I last seen you returning me to my place, but I think I scared you- just like you recoiled from my voice even now. The kingdom grew greatly since I last traveled with you, and we went on adventures through the land. Your father found out that you claimed me, and brought you before the king at the time. He insisted you to become a knight and protect his daughter. I remember various bits and pieces, but her ladyship resented you at first, but came to love you as you did your duty to protect her. But, it was almost all for naught when Ganon reincarnated into his most powerful form to date. You fought to your last breath, and in that moment, the princess unlocked her holy powers once again. Master, you nearly died at that point when I awoke to soothe her holiness. She had you placed in a chamber that would revive you back to prime condition. But the price was that it was going to take a century to heal your multiple wounds from a lack of power to the device. I was damaged from fighting these mechanical monstrosities, and the princess returned me to the Lost Woods in order for me to repair myself and wait till you came to get me again._

 _A century later you came back, but you were lacking the strength that you once had, my acquaintance, the Deku tree suggested that you find these shrines and train to build up your strength. Sure enough, you did and pulled me out of the pedestal. I needed to make sure you were ready, and I drained your life force as you drew me. We returned the the ruins of the castle to face Ganon, known as Calamity Ganon. He was a monster. A spider like form augmented by machinery, and fueled with pure hatred and destruction. A mere shell of the previous incarnations, but his power was unbelieveable. As a last resort he returned to his true form, of an angered boar. We managed to weaken him for her holiness to seal him once and for all._

 _I can't remember what else happened from that point, but if you are drawn to me, then that means Ganon is coming once again._

"This… this was me? But I hardly look like them- I hardly have held a sword let alone fought in any kind of conflict!"

 _Looks do not matter, as long as you have the courage to wield me. Please, Master, pull me from this pedestal. You need to find the reincarnation of her holiness, she is your other half in this ordeal._

"You mean Zelda?"

 _That's what her holiness was called through the ages…_

Link firmly grasped the hilt in both of his hands and put all of his strength to remove the blade. It slid out of it's pedestal and Link fell on his bottom as soon as the blade was freed.

Then reality came down on him like a ton of bricks- he was the chosen hero from the fables his father read to him and Zelda as children. He was the hero that represented courage. A gallant figure clothed in green. Something that he wasn't- far, far away from those figures of old.

"I'm just a coward, a horrible example of a Prince. I have to have everything handed to me on a silver platter… I couldn't possibly be the hero from the legends."

 _Master Link, your spirit is most certainly the reincarnated hero of old. If you were not, you wouldn't have been able to pull me out. I once heard an old saying: Courage is being terrified, but still saddling up and going head first into danger anyways. The previous incarnations had to learn this as well, albeit a much different route than you now._

Link sighed, "Just another burden for me to wear…"

 _It seems bad, but you need to do this for your kingdom, and for your future._

Dawn was about ready to break, and he did not sleep a wink yet again. He needed to return to his chambers before Impa found out. Without a second thought, he ran back to his room with the Master Sword in hand. He leaned the blade against his nightstand and curled up next to Zelda. She stirred for a moment as she noticed the warmth return to the bed.

* * *

Impa promptly came as she normally did at sunrise and pulled the curtains open to let the morning sun flood the room.

"Time to get up you two lovebirds," she spoke as she heard groans and yawns escape them as they rose out of their bed. Link was still exhausted after his short nap.

Impa turned to face them and saw the sacred blade leaning against the furniture, "Is that-? No it can't be…"

"You talking about the Master Sword? I heard it's call and found it last night," Link said as he glanced at the legendary glaive.

"Come with me now, and take the blade with you, Link."

"Uh, okay? Where are we going? Impa, you are scaring me…" he hopped out of bed and grabbed the sword and left his room, still in his lounge pants and shirtless.

"We need to speak with your father about this-" she gestured to the weapon in his hand.

"Why? The sword told me everything last night…"

"That's precisely why- it's an omen of sorts. We need to start to prepare ourselves as soon as possible."

Link was going to throw out a retort, but there's no backing out of this. His fate was slowly becoming laid out in front of him.

* * *

The king was already awake and pacing through his suite. He did not need any details after seeing his son walk in with the blade of evil's bane from the old tales.

"Impa, it's time. Please let me speak to him in private."

"Of course your majesty." Impa took a deep bow and left the room.

"Now tell me… what kind of knowledge did the sword impart with you? Rumors state that it is older than the kingdom itself."

"It showed me in past lives… She explained that the hero will rise when Hyrule's need is at it's greatest…"

"Now, I know you never had a fondness for weapons, but you are going to need to know how to wield it… I shall speak to the captain to start training you in the ways of the sword."

"The blade also said something about Zelda being my counterpart? She hinted at Zelda being the goddess incarnate?"

"As the legends state- the hero was the one to battle the daemon king, and the princess, or in our case, Zelda was there to seal Ganon away… I think it's time for her to begin some special training… Separate from you though I'm sad to say…"

Link looked a little hurt from his father's words, he would face this challenge alone? The two had been nearly inseparable since she took residence in the castle. The king rummaged through his collection to find an ornate scabbard to sheath the sword in.

"May I spend the day with her, before breaking the news?"

"I can grant you that, I suppose. One day, then you will start bright and early tomorrow. Are we clear?"

"Crystal."


	7. Chapter 7 All the Bravest

Link returned to his chambers after finishing his discussion with his father; Zelda was sitting at his desk and dressed for the day. He stepped into his closet to put on a fresh set of clothes for their 'date'.

"What's got you all wound up, Link?" she shouted to the closed closet door, "Impa pushed you out of the room in a hurry, eh? What's so important about that old sword anyways?"

"I'm not to sure myself, it showed me some things… you know… it's a wonderful day outside… want to head outside for a bit?" he tried to steer the conversation away from the sword and her fate till later when it was right, 'We could spend some time out in Hyrule Field, maybe explore some ruins… what do you say?"

"Sure, why not? It'll do both of us some good to get some fresh air," she nodded to him and got up from her seat at his desk.

The two walked down to Castle Town to take a look through the marketplace, and of course Link, but also Zelda were showered with gifts from the locals: jewelry, fresh baked goods, fruits, books- anything that they could easily carry back with them.

Link spotted a new accessory shop that opened up recently, and took a look at the spread of goods that the vendor had for sale, "Sir, may I buy this from you?" he pointed at a hair clip with a ornate flower design set inside of a brass ensemble.

"Is it for Lady Zelda?" he asked the prince, but Link could only respond with a blush and a quick nod, "If that's so, then it's on the house."

"N-no, I should pay, please… I… uh…."

"Alright, if you insist…" the shopkeeper sighed and opened his hand to receive payment for the clip, "Take care of your fiancee, you hear?"

"Y-yes sir…" he stuttered and nodded.

Zelda was waiting at the plaza fountain as he was 'inspecting' the new shop, "What took you so long?"

"Turn around for a moment…" he grinned. She did just that and he gathered some of her honey colored locks and twisted them into a small tight bun and clipped it in place with the new hair accessory that he purchased moments ago, "You like it?"

Zelda glanced at her reflection in the fountain water; she turned back to him and nodded with a gentle smile, "I do, thank you, Link. I'll treasure it."

"I want to make a stop at the castle to drop off our gifts… I don't want to be carrying this where we're going…"

"Right, then, shall we?"

The two unloaded their gifts in his room, "You may want to bring a sun hat and something to ward off some bugs where we're going to go…" Link pipped up.

"And where be that?"

"Faron Woods, if we can make it before sundown…"

"Alright, I'll bring them, I'm sure Impa's got some incense that will help keep the pests away…"

The two finished packing for their day trip to the forest, and departed from the castle. Link made sure to bring the Master Sword with him in case Fi had something else to tell him.

"Are we going to go by horse, or by foot?" Zelda asked, "If we're going by foot, we aren't going to make it there by dusk."

"Ah, you're right, well… let's see how far we can get before night falls?"

"Sure," she smiled and nodded. Link took her by the hand and led her north towards the great northern forest.

They took a short break for lunch in a field of flowers just south of the moat that surrounded the forest.

"You have a talent for cooking, Zelda. These lunch boxes you made are really delectable!" he said between spoonfuls of a variety of morsels.

"... and your skills in the kitchen leave something to be desired…"

"Hey what's that supposed to mean? I try my best…" he paused from scarfing down his food to sulk.

"If that's what you call trying…" she giggled.

Zelda took some time to collect some flowers to press into some old journals that she brought with her, "I didn't know you liked to do those kind of things…"

"Impa got me into it, it's just been a hobby of mine."

"Well speaking of hobbies-"

"You collect postcards right? I've seen your collection under your bed."

"Whaa? That's not cool, Zelda… Going through a guy's things…"

"You actually left it out on your desk one time, and since we're engaged I don't think it's that weird…"

"I suppose so… What flowers are you pressing?"

"This one is a daisy, these are lady slippers, and this one here is the Silent Princess- I also picked some violets and bachelor buttons too…"

"Bachelor Buttons, huh?"

"They were set into some resin and worn by bachelors- like yourself in the old days… I love the colors they come in- baby blues, fuchsia, and pinks…." she lit up as she talked about the lore of an ordinary flower.

"Would you make me one sometime, before our marriage?"

"Sure, I think the flower suits you, specially the blue ones…" she trailed off.

"Why blue?"

"Hmm, maybe it's nostalgia, or deja vu? I can't quite put my finger on it…oh well, nothing to worry about…" she shrugged and plucked a flower out to tuck into his hair, "Just as I thought, blue suits you more than green does…"

"I think both suit me just fine…" he chuckled, "But thank you kindly, I'm flattered… Now then we should keep on going if we hope to make it to the forest today."

"Why the rush?"

"Nothing really, just want to see the forest."

"I don't think so… something's up with you again, Link… You've been clutching that old sword since we left the castle."

He sighed, "I'll explain once we're there, please bear with me for a little bit longer…"

They got up and returned to the winding trail that crossed the moat that surrounded the woods.

"How much longer?" Zelda asked.

"Not much farther to go, once we cross this land bridge we'll be there…"

They soon crossed into the threshold into the forest and a thick fog surrounded them as they walked up to a lone lit torch.

"Link you idiot- this is the Lost Woods, not Faron Woods!"

"Relax, I think I've been here before," he spoke as he took an unlit torch and held it over the burning land mark till it was aflame, "We should make it to the heart of the forest if we follow the direction the embers are falling."

"Interesting… Well, you got us into this mess, you can get us out then." she said as she followed his lead, and making sure to not stray too far from his presence, "What do you think we'll find here?"

"If my gut is right, it's an old friend- I think."

"You think, huh?"

"Yep."

They slowly followed the hidden path till the fog cleared up and the trail led them to a clearing in the forest. There was a basic stone path that led to a pavilion of sorts.

"Doesn't it feel like we're being watched?"

"Maybe- I don't know... I can't sense anything malicious…"

"So maybe my gut feeling was correct."

"Or not… who knows…"

The two stepped over to the center of the platform and saw a strange triangle shaped pedestal in the middle with a slot that was perfectly sliced for the Master Sword.

"Alright, we're here, now I want to know what is going on! No more secrets Link!"

"Well, this blade is the Master Sword," he said as he withdrew the blade from it's scabbard hanging at his hip.

"You don't mean-"

"Yeah, the same one in those fables that father used to read to us as children."

"So that means…"

"I'm the reincarnated hero of courage."

Zelda stood there for a moment and broke out in a hearty laugh, "You- the hero of courage… that's rich!"

 _Milady, it's most certainly true, and you're the goddess incarnate._

"Fi is that you? Come on out and introduce yourself to her at least!"

"Fi?" Zelda's interest was piqued, and soon a female avatar came from the sword, dressed in colors matching the sacred blade.

 _I'm pleased to see that you are doing well, Zelda. I hope the best for you for the things to come._

Zelda was at a loss for words, "Goddess incarnate? Things to come? I'm completely lost…"

 _Allow me to fill you in my lady._ Fi placed her forehead and shared her memories of Zelda's predecessors and what they did to save their kingdom.

"They… they were all princesses?! But why is it this time… this time Link's the royal and I'm the commoner?"

 _I can't be sure, but the goddesses love their divine pranks. Perhaps this is just one of them for the two of you. Something for your spirits to gain by living the life of the other for one lifetime…_

"Sure that makes some sense… but I've never felt a holy power within me before…"

"That's where the King is going to send you to Impa's village - Kakariko. He hopes that training with the Shiekah will help you unlock and harness those powers. See you've got a near identical mark to mine on the back of your hand, that means you were chosen, Zelda."

"Are you coming with me?"

Link looked down from her face, "Sadly no, I will also begin swordsmanship lessons with the captain of the guard tomorrow. I'll make sure to see you off though, and Impa will be there for a few days till you adjust…"

Zelda stood there in silence for a moment to take in the information, "...how long is it going to take?"

"I'm not sure, neither my father nor the captain gave me so much as a clue to how long we'll be apart…"

"How about we write to each other? Maybe not everyday, but just enough to keep in touch."

"A long distance relationship, huh? I'm not opposed to that, but you have to send me some postcards along the way-"

"For your collection, of course... And I'll send you some gifts along the way, probably with Impa as she goes between the village and the castle for check in's with me."

Link pulled her in close to his chest and embraced her, "It's going to be tough, but we need to get through this. We need to be prepared for what lies ahead…"

"But really Link, are you capable with handling the blade of evil's bane? I've hardly seen you handle a sword, let alone swinging one."

"That's what the lessons are for."

"I think you're going to need a better place to put that blade though, you look like you can trip over the sheath cause you're so short…"

"I'll think about that- sunset is almost here- this is something you have to see."

Fireflies danced through the long blades of grass that surrounded the platform, and illuminated the grove in a warm glow.

"This is wonderful, by the way- did you read about them or-"

"No I've seen them before when father took me on one of his diplomatic trips to Zora's domain to the east of the castle. I figured you would like them, and I guess I thought right…" he hummed

Zelda gave a soft chuckle as they sat down on the stone below them and watched the bugs lit up around them. She gently leaned into him as she observed their dance.

Darkness began to settle on the lands as the sun slowly set.

"We should return, goddess forbid if Impa found out we stayed out late."

"True, but Link, can you lean closer to me?"

"Why-" as soon as he turned towards her face, she leaned in and placed a peck on his lips, "What… what w-was that f-for?!" he shouted as a deep red blush dyed his cheeks from the surprise and the shock.

"It's a thank you... for today, for everything," She glanced away as she broke away from him, "It's not much, but I wanted to show my appreciation."

"But a kiss?"

"It was Impa's suggestion- she said it would be a hit with you… was she wrong?

"NO- No! It just took me for a surprise," he reached to scratch the back of his head.

Zelda giggled, "Good, let's go home."

The two took their time with their journey back to the castle, it was nearly midnight before they returned, and everyone was fast asleep. Everyone except Impa of course. She was waiting for them in Link's chambers.

"Do you two know what time it is?" she asked sternly, "You realize you need to be awake in the morning to start training!"

"We know!" they both yawned.

"Good, now get some sleep. I'll come and fetch you at sunrise."

"Yes ma'am," the two replied in unison as Impa left the room.

"Hey Zelda…"

"What?"

Link pulled Zelda to his chest as they fell to the bed, he kissed her passionately. She returned his boldness by wedging her tongue past his lips. Their teeth scraped against the other's lips and their tongues probed their mouths, running through the small passage as they tasted each other.

They finally broke apart for a breath, gasping for air as they laid on the bed.

"It's about time you showed some bravery."

"I... I didn't want to… not return you kiss...before you left," he wheezed, "I don't… know when you'll… you'll be back…"

"Well thank you… I'm happy," Zelda smiled as she looked into his azure eyes as they glowed in the candlelight.

"You look more stunning that last night at the gala in your gown- I don't know how to say it, but I will remember this moment."

"You better, otherwise you won't hear the end of it from me." She glanced down to his nether region to see a tent forming through his pants. _He seriously wants me, huh? But not yet, not till we're past this turmoil that's to come..._

"Nor Impa," Link chuckled.

The two took turns changing into their sleepwear inside the closet, and crawled into bed. Once again, Link wrapped Zelda in his arms and pulled her in tight against his chest, spooning her in his embrace. Zelda smiled and placed a warm hand over his arms and they let sleep wash over them for the remainder of the night.

* * *

"Zelda time to get ready, we are leaving in two hours. Link the captain will meet you in the training grounds in three hours sharp."

"Yes ma'am."

"I'll leave you to it then," Impa said and left the chambers.

"What should I wear for training Zelda? I have no clue…"

"Something light, but also something that you don't mind if it gets dirty or cut up… Let me look through your wardrobe…" Zelda began to rummage through his clothes, and found a plain cotton shirt and some old pants, "Oh what's this?"

"What? What? Tell me!"

She pulled out a new leather holster out of his closet, "Tadaa! I had Impa special order it for you, it's supposed to go over your shoulder so you won't trip over that long blade anymore. It also has some buckles so you can adjust it, if you get any taller between now and when I will see you again. Here- try it on!"

Link pulled the holster over his head while Zelda took the Master Sword and slipped it into the leather bands, "Hmm, I guess it'll work for now."

"It'd better, it wasn't cheap by any means."

"Thanks, but what are you going to take with you to Kakariko?"

"Well… this and that, and definitely my stationary, as well as the hair clip you bought me yesterday."

"Sounds like you're set," he sat down and unsheathed the Master Sword and began to wipe it clean, "I think you'll have no problem with unlocking those holy powers inside of you."

"I sure hope so, some of the memories that Fi shared with me showed my predecessor had a tremendous difficulty with hers…"

Link helped Zelda carry her luggage to the castle gates where Impa waited with a pair of horses. She helped Zelda load her bags onto one of the steeds.

"You ready Zelda? Once we head off there is no going back till you succeed."

"More than ready," she replied and gave a bright smirk.

"Best of luck Zelda, remember to write, and I'll see you again."

"Of course, but I also want you to show that boldness you showed me last night."

Link went scarlet as he remembered their make out session in his bed last night, "Y-yeah, I will."

"Off we go!" Impa clicked her tongue and spurred her horse and they charged out of the castle in a full gallop.

"Well I suppose I can go to the training grounds early. A few minutes of extra practice will help me out…" Link mumbled to himself as he wandered over to the fields.

At the moment, it was barren with archery targets and training dummies lining the walls. He withdrew the blade from it's scabbard and began to swing it around.

"Your form is terrible- I can tell you've never fought before, amirite?" Link was spooked and spun around to see who was spying on his training. It was the captain, punctual as he was known to be, "Well shall we start with lesson number one, my Prince?"


	8. Chapter 8 - Send Me On My Way

"Do you know how to use that thing?"

"More or less… the pointy end goes into the bad guy, no?"

"Looks like I've got my work cut out for me….Well, shall we start with lesson number one?" the captain asked. Link turned around to see who snuck up on him.

"I take it you're the Captain?" Link asked.

"Please, just call me Cap. No need to be so formal with me Prince," he said as he bowed his head. Cap was much taller than him, and had a solid, well built frame.

"Same to you Cap, I'm your student so it's alright with me to drop the formalities."

"Now that we got that settled, let's begin. Draw your sword," he spoke and his lighthearted demeanor flipped off as soon as his blade was in his hand, "Attack me, and do not hold back, you hear?"

"Yes, sir," he nodded as he gripped the braided hilt and pulled the Master Sword from it's scabbard. Link began to slash wildly, grandstanding his proficiency of his swordsmanship.

Cap took his sword and easily deflected the assault, "Your form is sloppy. Again," he shoved the boy to the ground. "How are you going to defend you and Zelda if you can't wield this blade?"

"I… I don't know!" Link grunted as he rose up from the dirt.

"Don't worry, soon, you will be progressing with the sword and other weaponry." Cap laughed as he offered a hand to help the prince up to his feet, "Slow down your attacks, and breathe."

Link was doing his best to follow Cap's instructions, and the knight was nimbly dodging.

"Attack!" Link lunged towards him and Cap would knock the blade out of his hand. The steel clanged as it hit the ground, "Slow down."

Again and again, he was rushing his slashes and they were deflected off of the delicate blade of the captain. "Alright, this is getting us nowhere. I'll attack and you defend,"

Link nodded and changed his stance, "I'm ready."

"See? Nice and slow," he spoke as he gently touched his blade with the Master Sword.

A few rounds later he was picking up speed with his swordplay, and Link was keeping up with defending himself, "Good, good. Keep it up. You got it now."

They went for a few rounds of sparring, and Link lost each time. He began to huff and puff from exerting himself, "Can… can we take.. a break?"

Cap looked up to the sky, "I suppose so, it looks to be high noon. Let's grab some grub, and we'll shift to something else."

"...what else?" The prince was confused, "You don't mean…."

Cap let out a hearty laugh when it dawned on the clueless prince, " 'Sides just look at you Prince-" he gestured to Link, "We're going to have to work on that."

Link looked down at himself and realized what he meant- his lack of muscle, "You think you can fix this Cap?"

The captain just roared from Link's response, "You're not the first recruit, and you certainly aren't the last Link my boy!" He emphasized his point by walloping his bony back with a heavy hand. The prince winced as he felt his back smart afterwards.

The two gobbled up what remained of their lunches and returned to the training fields.Cap went into the lean-to to grab some equipment for what he's has in mind next.

Link saw him come back outside with a net and some stakes; the prince cocked his head to the side to see what he was going to do exactly.

Cap saw the confusion come over the prince, "This is a fishing net- you're going to practice your agility by stepping around the ropes, like this-" he said as he demonstrated, "Once you've got the hang of it, I'll add in some more…stipulations, if you will."

"O-okay…" Link weakly replied and he swallowed his fears. The prince steps out onto the netting and begins to slowly emulate what Cap showed him moments earlier.

"That's it- faster now!" he encouraged his liege. Link obliged and sped up, but he caught his footing on some of the ropes and fell flat on his face. Cap sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose, he walked over to Link and gave him a hand back to his feet, "You'll get it eventually, amirite?"

Link brushed off the dirt from his clothes, "Y-yeah.." he spoke quietly and nodded.

Over the course of the day Link steadily got the hang of the fundamentals, tapping into his natural instinct with the ways of the sword. Seemingly enough, he had a knack for the agility drills, swiftly weaving his lower half back and forth between the netting. Once they saw it was sundown, he leaned up against the tree, panting heavily to catch his breath.

"Alrighty then! I'd say we can call this a day. Go ahead and wash up and get some rest. I'll think of what you need to work on some more. Good work my boy, you'd do your old man proud!"

All the Prince could do was nod as he stumbled back to his quarters, exhausted and sore. But there was this goofy grin on his face, happy that he was making some progress with his training.One of the servants brought up a hearty platter of food, knowing he probably worked up quite the appetite from his exercise. Happily he dug in, relishing in how good everything tasted.

"Hey Zel-," He got caught up in the moment and turned his head around, but he was by his lonesome self in the candlelit room. _Oh… that's right… she's not here… I wonder how things are going on her end..._ Link cleaned up the rest of his meal and stripped off his soiled clothing and headed off to the bathing chambers. Once he was there, he dipped into the steaming hot bathwater. Every muscle that was stiff and aching, melted along with his worries into the waters.

After sometime, the Prince figured he had spent enough time soaking, he returned back to his room. Rummaging through the wardrobe, he found some of Zelda's clothes that weren't taken with her, touching them with a pang of longing wrenching through his heart. His attention snapped back to the desk where he remembered that he made a promise to write as often as he could.

He clothed himself in his pajamas quickly and sat down at the desk, pulling out some stationary and his inkpen, trying to put his day down into words to send to her.

 _XX/OO*_ _Dear Zelda,_ _After you left with Impa, I headed out to the training grounds, and met the Captain. We quickly hit it off, and he feels like the uncle I never had (haha)._ _He is very skilled and I can see why Father chose him to be his right hand man. I was elated when he told me that I had the makings of a good knight. If I wasn't the crown prince, he'd probably would have taken me as a protege._ _As he told me 'no sugar-coating it", the first day was the hardest, and he was spot on. Right now my whole body aches from disuse, don't worry- it's not that bad._ _I've been eating well, probably more so, today made me work up a voracious appetite. I'm writing just before bed. One day and I'm already missing you._ _I just hope that when you return, you see me as a fiance to be proud of. I want to be able to wield the Master Sword to its fullest potential, in case our mortal enemy rears its ugly head once again._ _Tomorrow, Cap (as he prefers to be called) mentioned that he will have a plan to sharpen my weaker points. So I hope to the goddess he doesn't put me through the wringer once again. Though I can sense he is a kind and gentle soul, there is something unrelenting about him. He seems to be one of those people that just sees me as I am, not the prince, just Link. Like you._ _I hope Impa and the other Shiekah will be gentle on you, and you have the best luck in unlocking and harnessing the power of the goddess!_ _Forever and for always yours,_ _Link_

He waited for the ink to dry before he carefully folded it up and placed a dab of molten candle wax on the parchment and stamped it with his signet ring while it was cooling.

Link opened the window and whistled for his personal carrier pigeon that Impa left with him.Securing it to the bird, he sent to off towards Kakariko Village in hopes that his words will be of encouragement to her before settling into his bed.

Without Zelda there, the bed was cold and much bigger than it really felt as another pang of loneliness ran through him like a glowing hot knife through butter. He felt conflicted, he wanted to be with her, but then again, these were their own trials that they needed to pass before being ready for whatever would come their way.

Over the night, the Master Sword sensed her owner's loneliness and began to show him images of his past lives. Boys that strangely look a lot like him, living simple lives. A student, a knight in training, a bodyguard, a farmer, a ranch hand, brother, nephew, orphan. All having their lives turned upside down when they pulled the sword after something devastating happening to them.

Then images of the companions breezed by in his dreams- an imp, a fairy, Fi- the sword's spirit, a talking boat, a wolf along with a disembodied voice. Even if their company was forced on the hero, it was welcomed, and eventually missed once their missions were done and over.

Suddenly there was scenes of him riding on a giant crimson bird over a thick blanket of clouds below, Dipping and soaring across the blue yonder of the clear skies. A tornado came out of nowhere and then the image changed scenes, moving to him to riding on top of a chestnut mare, galloping through what seemed to be an ancient hyrule field. He enjoyed the feeling of the winds blowing across his face and the beating of his mount's hooves under him.

Once more the scenery changed, he was riding on top of this machine, it roared and speed across some ruins, and bounced along the rough terrain. He quickly pulled something to slow it and drifted along the path before letting out a "Woohoo" that echoed across the canyon he entered into, before it puttered into a small encampment. For some reason he was feeling a rush of excitement, adrenaline coursing through his veins from the sheer speed and agility of the contraption.

But, it all ended happily. The hero rescued the princess from the demon king. Some lived in obscurity, others became lovers with their princess and took the mantle of King. Nonetheless 'happy'.

Morning rose once again, and Impa wasn't there to wake the lonesome Prince. He was already up and watched the dawn break over the kingdom, barely able to sleep a wink since there were too many things weighing on his mind, even after his pleasant dreams.

"I can't keep moping around like a bump on a log! I need to make her proud!" Link spoke affirmations to himself and smacked his cheeks to snap himself out of his gloomy state. Changing out of his pajamas, he put on some old, clean clothes for training, strapped on the Master Sword, "Thank you… I appreciate you trying to cheer me up… Might I ask… Were those memories of past me's? Do you think… I'll have my happy ending too?"

Fi popped out of the blade and spoke to the Prince, _It's my pleasure Master. I wanted to do something to lift your spirits. I have many-a memory from your past lives. From the first time I met you millenia ago, to only mere centuries ago… All had their own struggles to overcome and their own assets to acquire as they journeyed. Even if the roles have been reversed this time around, you still are you deep down Master. Still the same sleepyhead that turned into a fearsome warrior when the time came._ _Once you have learned how to wield me properly, I will show you the techniques of your former lives, I know they will be glad I could pass it down to you. Till then, please hone your skills. We both will know when the time is right to move on to it… Best of luck Master… Till next time…_

The sword spirit returned to the sword and Link took in a deep breath to steel himself. Heading out to the training grounds where Cap was ready and waiting for him with a practice sword in hand.

"Morning my boy! How did you hold up overnight? I didn't work you over too hard now right?" Cap spoke up with a bright smile on his face.

The Prince shrugged, "I'm doing alright. Ate like a ferocious beast, but perhaps I could've slept a bit better. Though I'm ready for what you have to throw at me today!" He grinned back just as brightly to the captain.

"That's what I wanted to hear! Now let's dive into lesson number two! Draw your weapon and come at me!"


	9. Chapter 9 You're My Best Friend

Still feeling Link's warmth on her lips, Zelda sped across the hylian plane, flanking Impa's steed. They were heading due east to where the home of the Shiekah was nestled in the valley of a small mountain range- Kakariko Village.

"Just past the dueling peaks and it's roughly another hour till we get there, little Zelda." Impa informed Zelda.

Zelda on the other hand, hadn't gone far outside the the safety of the kingdom, and even from her memories in captivity; they were blinded while in transit to prevent them from escaping, should one have been daring enough to slip their bindings. Just seeing the majesty of the peaks that carved themselves through the land was breathtaking, no words could describe how amazing it was to see it up this close.

They took a brief break to water the horses and eat a light lunch. Impa had prepared several kinds of riceballs in paper wrappers the night before. Zelda bit into one stuffed with meat and her face lit up as she chewed her mouthful. It tasted so simple- the savory cured meats, the light fluffy rice, and the hint of sea salt to tie it all together.

Impa let out a soft chuckle as she watched her protege enjoy the small snack she made, "Zelda… how come you've been so quiet, child? Are you worried about leaving the Prince by himself…?"

She broke away from her delicious meal to look up at Impa before she moved her gaze down to her riding boots, "...yeah…. This is the first time he's going to be on his own since he brought me to the castle….Impa… how long…. How long are we going to be seperated…?"

"Only as long as the two of you have mastered what you need in order to be prepared for the coming of the daemon king," She spoke soft soothing words as she placed a loving hand on her head, ruffling Zelda's honey locks between her fingers. A few tears escaped Zelda's eyes as she nodded in agreement, "I'm sure Cap will whip your betrothed into shape. There is a reason our King picked him as the captain of the guard…"

Again, Zelda nodded, snorting the snot that was dripping down her nose, and dried her tears. How long has it been since I had a good cry…? Years I think….

Once they had their fill, they saddled the now refreshed steeds and made a beeline for the hidden village.

They slowed up and tied the horses up at one of the trees as they made it past the gates. A small stream wound its way through the village, powering several water wheels to the wooden homes that sat on the riverbank. Impa led the two of them to the main mansion.

"Up ahead is where my mother lives. She is the matriarch of the clan… and my older sister lives up on top of the hill with my niece…" Impa points up to the cottage above the village with strange machinery, "I think she is about the same age as you. Perhaps you want to introduce yourself when you're settled in?"

Zelda smiled sweetly as she nodded. It was the first time she had someone other than Link as far as being peers, let alone another girl she can confide in, "That sounds great… I take it… she doesn't take after her mother?"

"Well…. I guess you can say that…" She chuckled awkwardly as a finger scratched her cheek, "Anyways… let's head inside and unpack." Impa ushered Zelda into the mansion, and spoke with her mother, and figured out the arrangements while for their honored guest.

Zelda quickly retired to the room she was provided and some clansmen went ahead and delivered her bags into her room already. Looking around, there was a bed, a wardrobe, and a desk with an oil lamp.

The next few hours she spent some time putting away her things and situating herself for however long it was going to take for her to harness this 'power' she was supposed to have. Feeling frustrated with her thoughts going off on a tangent, she re-emerged from her room and headed downstairs to the main hall, suddenly smelling something wetting her appetite.

She followed the aroma to the kitchen, where Impa was cooking. The shiekah noticed her protege come in with a rumbling stomach, setting a meat-stuffed pumpkin in front of her.

"This is a Shiekah specialty… I never made it at the castle, because pumpkins are hard to come by in Castle Town. I think my niece was about to-"

"Auntie, I'm here!" A petite girl came in behind Zelda, like most of the Shiekah, her hair was snow white, but she had more of a muted red color in her irises. She was roughly the same height as her, but there was a delicate air surrounding her, much unlike her fellow kin.

"Well, speak of the devil and he shall appear… Paya dear, pull up a chair and get to know Lady Zelda… She is betrothed to the crown prince, and will be staying with us for some time… Tomorrow she will be joining you with training."

Zelda spun around to give Paya a sweet smile, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Paya… I hope we can be good friends," She offered a hand to the other girl, and Paya in turn shook it with stars in her eyes.

"It's an honor to meet you Milady! I can't believe someone of your standing is coming to stay in our lowly village…!" The young Shiekah was nearly vapor locked with adoration.

"Please, just Zelda. I wasn't born into the royal family… Just in the right place at the right time…" She blushed from the attention, and mumbled.

Impa went and sighed at her apprehension, "Little Zelda, even if you aren't of royal blood, you are pivotal in our defense against the demon king… And Paya, I leave her in your care when I return back to the Castle to check back in on our wayward Prince."

"Of course, Auntie! I will do you proud!" Paya grinned from ear to ear as she nodded vigorously.

"What has that mother of yours been up to lately?"

"Well, if I'm understanding correctly… She was making some guardian powered weapons that also work as hairpins… nothing yet for a prototype…"

"Guardian powered weapons?" Zelda's interest was piqued, and her ears perked up.

Impa went ahead and explained, "It's the ancient technology of the clan. Weaponry and armor that is crafted and powered by a blue flame. This is the greatest secret of the village, it brought the kingdom to its knees more than once as told by the ancient legends."

"Oh, and the clan is known for teaching ladies like ourselves for undercover missions, assassinations….! I think that's why mother is innovating our concealed weapons."

Zelda went into a pensive state, "Hmm…. That does make a lot of sense… hairpins that also double as daggers or picks with a trigger would be useful…"

Paya nodded excitedly once again, "Yes! And we can protect the crown in the shadows! Though…. The thought of spilling someone's blood no matter if it's a foe or not sickens me…" her excitement evaporated as fast as it appeared, "Sorry… I haven't had much of a stomach for gore let alone blood… But I'm just as much of a Shiekah as Mother and Auntie..."

Impa gave her niece an endearing smile as she hugged her from the side, "Paya dear, just because you aren't capable of doing assassinations doesn't mean that there are other things to do… Protection is also an honored thing to do, even working with your mother and helping her with inventing new things to improve everyday life is important…"

"She's right, there's always a niche for you… If it isn't here in the Village, I'm sure I could put in a good word for you at the Castle…"

Paya nodded and took a deep breath to calm herself.

"Better, dear? You have us and the entire clan behind your back…"

She nodded once again and spoke softly, "Yes, thank you…"

One of the guards came into the mansion breaking the silence of the moment, "Milady, a letter from the prince addressed to you!"

"Already?!" She got up and hastily took the letter from the guard, and saw his emblem in the wax seal, snorting as she broke the seal and opened it up. Reading her letter, a few tears fell from her cheeks, "You idiot… it's only been a day…" she mumbled and dried her tears.

"Well what did it say? Don't keep us in suspense!" Paya and Impa urged her.

"He… he misses me already… but tells me not to worry about him… what an idiot…" she couldn't help but cry soft tears, handing over the letter to them.

"The Prince has wonderful handwriting- he must've spent quite a bit of time penning this…"Paya read though his words, admiring the penmanship.

"Not really, he says he was writing before bed, so this isn't his best work…." And then an audible gasp from Paya, imagining his work when the Prince was actually serious.

"Speaking of the Prince…" Impa trailed off for a second, "What did you mean by 'showing the boldness he showed you the night before'? You didn't happen to...make love the night before..?"

Her face flushed beet red from cheeks to the tips of her ears as she recalled their special day, "What?! No!! Though…. Something took hold of him… and… we might've…..m-made out…. A little…." her voice progressively got quieter as she told her foster mother the details.

Paya let out a squeal of delight, "He's so bold~!"

"Well considering this is Link we're talking about… I guess he's somewhere between a boy and a man… Knowing the little prince, I'd certainly say he's grown some balls to make a move on you.." Impa smirked and nudged Zelda in the side.

"Auntie!"

"Impa, really?!" Zelda his her face in pure embarrassment.

"If you think I'm terrible, just wait till you meet my elder sister Purah…" She snorted, "To be honest she will make you want to melt into the floor when she's done with you!"

Zelda let out a heavy sigh, "But anyways… it's good to hear from him so soon… I'm happy for him…" She pressed the letter close to her chest with a look of longing, "Soon, I also will be someone to be proud of… just you wait and see Link…"

Impa gazed outside and saw it was dusk, and the fireflies were dancing around the banks of the stream, giving the village an unearthly glow into the evening hours, "Now… I think you two can finish eating and go ahead and get a bath in before bed. Training starts at dawn."

"Yes ma'am"

"Yes Auntie."

The two girls quickly gobbled down the steaming pumpkins, and Paya guided Zelda towards the hot springs just up from the mansion. It was a gorgeous open air bath littered with fallen plum and cherry blossoms. The two quickly undressed and jumped in for a nice long soak in the mineral water.

"So, tell me! I wanna hear your story~!" Paya asked once they were comfortably settled into the bath.

"Well… Li- no… The Prince found me being sold as a slave… and he bought my freedom… gave me a name and invited me to stay at the castle…. Impa has been basically my mother, my teacher, showing me where the Prince liked to run away to avoid his lessons…" she chuckled a little, "It was only mere days ago when we found out that we were to be wed in two years… and I found that I am the one to inherit… the blood of the goddess…" she held up her hand, showing the birthmark that was usually covered by her glove.

Paya chuckled lightly when she heard her switch to being formal, "There's no need to be modest, he is your betrothed, so it's perfectly fine to drop the titles, since you're probably going to be Queen at his side…"

"Queen, huh… I didn't think of that… and there comes another problem… an heir…"

"But with his highness being so timid, I doubt he would force it on you unless you felt the same… I heard stories of the Prince from Auntie Impa, and he doesn't seem like the kind of man to do that to you…"

"I don't know, it makes this elated feeling swell inside of me… bearing children of our own… but I don't want eyes prying into our daily life…" she clenched a fist against her heart, "I guess it's a matter of time before I come back and see a man greet me with open arms…"

"Right! And he will be a wonderful king to his people! With someone as unyielding as you with him… I'm sure he will blaze a bright path for the kingdom!"

Zelda let out a hearty laugh, "Oh you flatter me! Though… it does make me wonder what two years will do to him…" She hummed and rolled the idea around her mind, seeing his scrawny from was no longer, replaced with toned muscle, suiting his long caramel lock. And her mind roamed further down his naked body till she saw below his waist and-

"Gyaah!" She groaned and mentally smacked herself for letting her mind wander the wrong way.

"Zelda…? Something the matter?" Paya asked as she cocked her head to the side, confused from the sudden outburst from her guest.

"N-nothing, no need to fret over me, just had a daydream that went out of control…" she tried to brush it off.

...but it wasn't working on Paya, "Was it about his highness..?"

"Eep!" She yelped and sunk back into the hot water to hide her burning cheeks.

"I'm only kidding… I promise I won't pry if you don't want me to…" She smiled back at her, "Now I think we've been in the bath for awhile, let's get out before we pass out…"

Zelda nodded and rocketed to her feet.

"Y'know… You have plenty of assets that would make any head turn… I'm sure the Prince has noticed as well…"

"Assets…? Like what?"

"Hmm… well… I guess compared to me… you're much curvier… and I heard men like that… especially in the bust…"

"Bust huh…? Hmm…? I guess it's on the bigger side…"

"Mhmm!" She nodded affirmatively, "Mother has some things to help with seducing… I've seen it locked up in one of her cabinets in her lab…"

Zelda snorted at the thought, "I don't think it will take much, considering he was holding back last night…"

"You're positive that he was…?"

Zelda looked into her eyes and nodded, "He was."

"Well, we have somewhere to go till the next time you see him, and he can't keep his hands off of you…" she snickered.

Zelda wrapped her towel into her hair and one around to cover her body, and Paya ushered her back to the mansion.

"Make sure to stop by after training! Mother will love to meet you! Sleep well and good night!"

"Good night, Paya." Zelda smiled and waved at her before retiring to her room.

Impa saw that Zelda was giddy as a schoolgirl, and she came up to her and asked, "I take it that you two hit it off…?"

"Hmm!" She grinned brightly back at her, "Once our training session is done tomorrow I'll go over to visit with her."

"That sounds like a good idea…"

Zelda nodded once again, humming as she went back to her room.

"Zelda, are you planning on sending him a reply..?"

"Well I guess I should, I made sure to bring some parchment and my ink pens…"

Impa came over and handed her a small box, "These are enchanted earrings that were once used by one of the ancient heroes, they were given from the goddess to her chosen hero. The wearer becomes immune to scorching flames if they are worn… it's a heirloom of the tribe after her holiness' hero passed the torch to the next incarnation… I think it's something appropriate to send to him… no?"

Zelda gazed upon the scarlet hoops, their design wasn't too much different from the aquamarine ones she placed into his ears not too long ago, she was elated and happily jumped into Impa's arms for a hug, "Thank you, so much…"

"It's nothing dear… now get dressed and start writing that letter, I'll have it sent off in the morning…"

She nodded against Impa, "Yes ma'am…" and pulled away to find her nightgown and sat with her damp hair at the desk. She pulled out her stationary and began to write.

 _/_ _Dear Link,_ _I just received your letter when I was eating dinner. I met Impa's niece, Paya, and now am settled in at the matriarch's mansion. She is a curious gal, and seems to admire the two of us._ _I'm happy to hear that you are doing well. I hope we can see each other soon, perhaps another event at the castle...?_ _I'm sending along with this letter a set of earrings. They are the legendary fireshield earrings from the heroes of old. I hope you would wear them and make use of them- that is once your piercings have healed completely. And for the goddess' sake, please don't pierce them a second time. I know you probably were thinking that._ _Remember that bachelor button? I had it encased in resin and it's was crafted into a lapel pin, I forgot to give it to you before I left, and it's in with the earrings._ _Don't forget to wash behind your ears, and get plenty of rest- I don't want to hear that you caught cold, Link!_ _I love you, and miss you just as much…_ _Ever at your side,_ _Zelda_

"There… that should do it…" she mumbled to herself and wrapped her letter around the small box before bringing it over to Impa, who was giggling.

"You know he might tear through the paper thinking it's some sort of gift, you know…" which made Zelda regret her spontaneous action, "Not to worry, I'll mention it to the postman that it needs to be opened with care…"

Zelda let out a relieved sigh, "Thanks Impa, and good night…"

"Good night dear, sweet dreams…"Impa pressed a gentle kiss on the crown of Zelda's head before sending her off to her room.

She blew out her candles and crawled into her bed, letting the sweet feeling take her off into her slumber, "Good night… Link."


	10. Chapter 10 boomclap

Another morning broke in the valley, and as promised, Impa was there to roll Zelda out of bed.

She'd slept terribly that night- a different bed and not in the embrace of the Prince made her miss it dearly. She realized she had taken it for granted.

"Up and at 'em dear! You're burning daylight! Breakfast is in the kitchen and you will be sparing with Paya this morning."

With a long stretch and a deep yawn she sleepily replied, "Yes ma'am…" Zelda stumbled over to the wardrobe and got dressed for the day.

"I'll meet you outside by the goddess statuette in an hour, be well prepared." Impa jumped from the window in her room and gracefully landed down on the front steps of the mansion.

Zelda let out a heavy sigh when Impa was out of earshot, meditating for a quick moment to steel herself before heading to the light breakfast waiting for her on the table. After she was prepared, mentally and physically, she joined Impa outside along with Paya, who welcomed Zelda with a hearty hug.

"So are you two ready to start?" Impa asked, and they nodded their answer in turn, "Today we are going to practice chi manipulation, it is more of an advanced technique of the clan and Paya here has a talent for it." As Impa mentioned her, Paya summoned a small bloom of fire in her palm. "She will guide you through it, and practice with you, Impa explained."

"Yes ma'am,"Zelda nodded.

"I'll leave you two to it then, I still have some more business to attend to here, and I'll be heading back to the castle in a day or two. I expect to see results when I come back to check up," again the girls nodded, and Impa turned back to the mansion.

"So… How do I go about harnessing it…?" Zelda asked to break the silence.

"I have a natural affinity for fire, but if the legends are true, those with the blood of the goddess are aligned with light…" Paya mused.

"Light…." she repeated quietly under her breath.

"The rarest and most difficult to harness…"

Zelda let out a deep sigh, "Guess this is a challenge I'm not allowed to back down from if I'm to ever show my face at the castle. Time to put the nose to the grindstone."

Paya led her to a quiet spring, nestled between the cliffs above the village. The morning sun shimmered off the crystal clear waters and the only sounds that could be heard were the faint whispers of birds singing in the distance.

"I like to use this place when I need to meditate."

"It's beautiful, and so serene… I wish there were places like this in the castle…" Zelda smiled wistfully at the landscape, reminded of all the times she had to fetch Link for training or whenever he would hide from his studies, "I'm sure Link would love to hide out here and shirk from his texts…"

Paya let out a burst of laughter, making Zelda unable to not join in the giggles, "Ain't that the truth!"

"And then," Zelda snorted, "...I'd find the lazy bum in the weirdest places… ASLEEP!"

"No….!" She gasped in surprise.

All Zelda could do to was nod to contain her giggles till she nearly split a gut and had to calm herself.

"Feel a little better, Zelda?" Paya asked her curiously, "It seems like he is you're light…"

She nodded her head gently and hummed, "Yeah… you're right; he is my light…"

"Alright, I want you to sit down and focus on that feeling. Use it to unlock your holy powers," Paya clasped her palms on Zelda's shoulders with a wide grin on her face. She smiled weakly back, and plopped down nearby the waters edge, settling into some deep meditation and self reflection.

 _I miss you so much… I want to come home and to see your face when I master my birthright, Link. I'm excited to see how much you've grown when I return… the look on your face when you see me from the distance..._

 _My child…my dear daughter…._ A silhouette appeared in her mindscape, bathing her psyche in a warm, welcoming glow. _What is it you wish to obtain, my child…? Whom do you cherish the utmost...?_

 _I...I want the power to be at his side. To protect him, as he would do for me…_

 _And whom are you speaking of, child…?_ The figure slowly embraced her, wrapping her in a motherly warmth.

 _…My best friend… my savior… my betrothed... Link… the crown prince… and my future husband…._

The figure let out a bubbly chuckle as she stroked Zelda's honey strands soothingly, _My dear… you are so strong despite what my sisters have dealt you two… and my precious hero… I'm elated that he will finally find happiness once again with my descendant… Darling Zelda, I bestow onto you the bow of light… and the power of exorcism, the power to purify malevolence..._ _….sisters? Are you… the goddess Hylia?_ _I am… should you come into trouble my daughter, seek me out and I shall provide guidance and teachings… may you fare well, my darling…_

Zelda was suddenly snapped out of her meditative state with a breathless gasp. A moment to look at her surroundings told her more than enough. Paya was sitting across from her with an astonished look on her face.

"You're…"

"I'm what?" Zelda asked with a raised brow, wondering what she saw.

"You're a natural! Your body suddenly lit up out of nowhere, and it got so bright I had to avert my eyes!" the Shiekah girl squealed out excitedly, clapping her hands and dancing in her seat, "Ooh, oh! Try it again, I wanna see it again!"

Zelda was taken aback for a moment by the downpour of praise from her peer, but she exhaled a deep breath to calm herself. Focusing her newfound magic, a bow appeared in her hands in a flash of light. She grasped the weapon and gazed upon the delicate metallic lace pattern in awe.

Paya let out another squeal, her eyes wide as dinner plates as she gazed upon the holy weapon, "The chosen weapon on the goddess- The bow of light!! The legends say it has no equal and it shoots limitless arrows that fly straight and true~! C'mon, you gotta try to fire an arrow. I wanna see it!"

"Alright, alright. C-calm down Paya…" she flinched a little from the overexcited girl, "Despite Impa showing me some things, I've actually never had the chance to practice much archery… So forgive me if I am a little rusty," Zelda chuckled awkwardly as she summoned out an ornate arrow crafted from light.

Remembering what little training she had with bows and arrows, she nocked it against the bowstring and pulled it till the thumb of her bowarm was touching the corner of her mouth and the filaments of light tickled her cheek. Zelda aimed at a tree several yards away on the other side of the ravine, took a breath, steadied herself, and released the arrow when she began to exhale.

The arrow did as Paya described and soared to it's master's target, blowing the tree into splinters in the blink of an eye. A shockwave from the impact rattled the surrounding landscape.

"Whoops! I guess it was too much power… Eh heh heh…" Zelda continued to watch the heap of shattered wood that came from her own hands, dumbfounded by the result, "Such destruction… who knew I had this kind of power?"

Paya, on the other hand, had been rendered speechless by what she just witnessed, partially delighted to see something so legendary with her own eyes, partially terrified of someone hearing the explosion and coming to investigate.

"Please tell me I can control this. I know we want to obliterate the daemon king, but… if I'm practicing I don't want to leave the range in cinders," she sighed, feeling bad for the tree, but soon turning her attention back to her partner in crime, "Paya.? Everything okay there?"

"Oh my goddess! That. Was. Amazing! We have to tell Mother and Auntie. C'mon let's go!"

Paya yanked her by the arm and dragged her towards Purah's house overlooking the quaint village. In through the double doors they went and there was a woman tinkering in her lab. Paya excitedly skipped towards her.

"Mother~! I'm home! And… And…!"

The Shiekah woman sat down a contraption she was tinkering with and spun around, looking shockingly similar to Impa albeit a few minute differences, "Out with it Paya… c'mon and spit it out already, don't leave me hanging."

"Zelda… Zelda she… she harnessed her power… instantly and look-" she blurted and pointed at the bow still in Zelda's hands.

Purah smirked when she saw the bow and finally put a name to the face, "So you're the kiddo that my darling little sister adopted." She glanced down to examine the bow, "I can tell her she's got good taste, as per usual… hmm…"

"Sorry, but you look-"

"Nearly identical to Impa? We're twins, the first pair the village had in over a century. Even though I'm the older one, I had no interest in taking on the matriarchal role once my mother has passed on, so it fell to Impa. She's one of the best warriors to have come from the village in recent years," Purah explained. "So, I have to ask, how is little Linky doing these days? I haven't seen him since he was just a tyke…"

Zelda blinked for a moment to process the information. Impa typically kept her family life to herself while a the castle and she had no clue that she had a sister and a niece, "Oh! Well, um… Link is doing well."

"I heard the little prince sent you off… in style if I might add," Purah nudged with a devious smirk, "Surprising that boy held back, I'm sure the thing between his legs was nearly as blue as his eyes, the poor thing…"

Paya was as red as her hairpins as she darted out of the lab, knowing this wasn't a conversation she needed to hear.

Zelda was screaming internally from the comment, a faint blush dyed her cheeks as she recalled the last couple of episodes before she left, but all she could reply with was a curt nod.

"As they say, Zelda:happy wife, happy life. .You should be glad you have such an obedient prince as your fiancee… ufufu~"

Zelda's blush crept further across her face, growing deeper as Purah continued on with her teasing. She dropped her bow and the holy weapon evaporated in a glimmer of light- just as it appeared.

Forgetting her achievement entirely, Purah continued to prod and pester her, knowing she had her claws into Zelda. "Impa told me of what's been going on at the castle, and you two are eager to make a move on each other so soon after being betrothed, you two crazy kids. I tell you…" She sighed, "Reminds me of my time with Robbie. Oh, what a guy… he surely knew his way around a wilfet wrench, and Paya takes after him so much. Bless his soul, and may he rest in peace…"

"I'm sorry for your loss," Zelda's heart wrenched with sympathy for her. That was till another Shiekah busted into the room smeared full of grease, scorched clothes and hair standing on end,

"Hey, I'm not dead yet!"

Zelda stood there, bewildered as to an explanation- was he a ghost? Was he real? Purah clasped a palm to her cheek and sighed with a melancholy look on her face, "I can almost hear him now, Hylia bless him wherever he is now…"

The man stormed over to her and pinched her cheeks, "Very funny, darling. Now come and give me a hand, this engine is needing some fine-tuning."

Purah let out a bellow of laughter and pecked her husband on the cheek, "Of course, honey. I'll be just a moment."

"So… since Impa adopted me… does that make you…" the gears in Zelda's mind whirred as she cranked out a logical explanation.

"Yes, Robbie and I are your aunt and uncle, and Paya is your cousin," she smiled sweetly after ruffling Zelda's hair and pressing a small kiss on her forehead, "We are family and no one gets left behind… you can rely on us if you're in trouble."

A few tears threatened to fall from her eyes as this overwhelming feeling of happiness bubbled up from within her, "Never in my wildest dreams did I ever hope to have a family…"

"Honey, it's okay," Purah cooed quietly, pulling her in to let her cry on her shoulder, "You can lean on us, and I certainly can help you with your endeavors in your love life…"

She smiled and nodded as the tears fell with a few muffled sniffles, "Paya mentioned something…"

Purah stroked her hair and quietly chuckled, "Nothing gets past her it seems. Impa mentioned that she was making some dinner at the mansion, why don't you two make your way down there and get cleaned up? You've worked up quite a sweat it seems."

"Oh, right… sorry about that."" Zelda pulled back and dried her tears.

"It's nothing honey, just means you did your best today, and Impa would agree," Purah assured her.

"Thanks…" Zelda hesitated for a moment before she found the word she wanted, "Auntie…"

"You're very welcome dear. Paya~! Robbie, honey~! Time to get ready to head out and visit Impa!" Purah hollered into the next room, getting a quick response from both in reply.

Zelda fingered through her unkempt hair and dusted off her pants, smiling up at Purah "Ready whenever you guys are…"

Paya reappeared in the lab, and Robbie followed soon behind, wiping the stains and spills off with a towel. Purah took the lead as they went downhill to the village.

"Auntie, we're back, and with good news!" Paya bounced in her spot when she saw Impa inside the mansion.

"What is it, Paya dear?" Impa turned around from the oven where her attention has been with keeping a watchful eye on dinner.

"Zelda, do the thing you did earlier~!"

Paya pulled her closer to Impa, and she quickly focused to summon her bow and held it in front of Impa, whose eyes were just as big as Paya's had been earlier.

"This?! Already? Just with one try?"

Zelda simply smiled and nodded till Impa took her by surprise into an impromptu hug.

"Little Zelda, I'm so proud of you. Same goes for you, Paya dear." She quickly pulled her niece into the embrace as well, "You found your power with ease… and-"

"I tried to fire an arrow and well…you have to see to believe it."

"She made a tree explode into bits!" Paya blurted out, making Impa chuckle.

"Well… as long as no one was hurt, but we should clean up the debris you left behind."

"Yeah, but what can we do with splinters?"

"I'm sure Papa could use some timber for his kilns."

Zelda sighed, feeling relieved the bystander in her test run wouldn't be wasted.

"You two can use that as an opportunity to learn, and improve… but rest is just as important as training. Go on and clean yourselves up, dinner's nearly ready."

The two girls nodded and scrambled to the washroom to refresh themselves. Soon after they returned from preening, Impa lifted the lid off her dutch oven to reveal the pot roast, "It's the venison I got from this morning's hunt, and the vegetables are from the local farms. Perhaps you should learn to cook for our wayward prince, eh Zelda?"

Zelda watched the steam rise from the scrumptious meal, the aroma of the medley of meat and vegetables tickled her nose, wetting her appetite in the process. She quickly pulled up a chair at the table, and nodded when Impa suggested culinary lessons, "He might have an insatiable appetite when I see him next, and it would be nice to see his face when I bring it to him… I can see it now..." she sighed, gazing upon her helping as Impa divvied up the meat and vegetables.

They said grace and tucked into their hearty meal, the room turning silent save for the clinking of utensils and the soft slurping and chewing of food. . A couple of them took seconds, and everyone was left satisfied with stomachs full to bursting. Purah and Impa cleared the dirty dishes off the table and began to wash them in the sink.

Zelda and Paya quietly excused themselves and moved to Zelda's room upstairs, taking some time to visit more before everyone called it a night. A few more giggles and gossipping about the Prince were shared between the two, making time whizz by them. Before long, Purah called for Paya, bidding them a good night and returning back to their home above.

Zelda quickly changed into her nightgown and meandered to Impa's room to speak with her before they retired for the evening. Once she stepped in, she was taken aback with the bags packed and everything spick and span.

"Oh Zelda dear, I didn't hear you come in…"

"Are you heading back?" she asked shyly.

"I figured I should return to check in on Link… the postman never came by this morning, so I will be delivering your letter to him. I will be leaving at first light tomorrow, I'm glad to see that you're settling in and fitting in well, dear."

"When will you come back…?"

Impa heard the worry in her voice and came to pull her into a warm, comforting hug, "I don't know, but I hope to be back fairly soon. Keep your chin up, work hard, and make him proud, understood?"

"Yes ma'am…" she spoke, but it came out muffled against her clothes.

"That's my girl, now go on and get some rest- you've earned it dear." Impa gave her a firm pat on the back and pulled Zelda away.

She left Impa's room in peace and returned to her own, hopping into bed and feeling elevated yet conflicted over everything.

 _I wonder how he is doing? Is he eating well? Are the other trainees not picking on him? What about his sword? Has he mastered it yet? No- it hasn't been even a week, and I've only just tapped into my own. My own gifts… from Hylia herself- myself? I don't know, but I have a long ways to go before I have decent control over it…*sigh* It just feels like there is so much happening all too fast for me to comprehend it all…_

Zelda was left tossing and turning in her bed for hours till her mind cleared and her breathing steadied. Finally then, she drifted off into her world of dreams where he was waiting for her with open arms and a smile for only her. _Link...I...I want to see you again…._


	11. Chapter 11 Roll Out the Barrel

_Link…._

He was fast asleep, and he heard a familiar voice. But it was hard to discern whose it was exactly, that was till suddenly a pair of hands shook him awake.

"C'mon Prince, it's time to get ready for trainin'! Cap is gonna make us run laps if we're late...again!"

"Five more minutes…" Link groggily replied as he grabbed his pillow to darken his vision once again.

It had been over a week since Zelda left with Impa. Since then, he had been bunking with one of the trainees, Cassius, who was close in age to him. It was better for him to be around others his age than being cooped up in his quarters that he shared with Zelda and be reminded of her wherever he turned.

"Not a chance, Highness," Cass, as he preferred to be called, growled, taking the edge of the mattress, and flipping both it and the sleepy prince onto the cold stone floor.

Link grunted as he collided with the heavy mattress which was pressing onto his bruised back, "Cass, enough… I told you a thousand times, just drop the formalities. We are the same age."

"And I've said there's no chance in Hylia's green earth- yer the future sovereign, and I can't be disrespectful," he replied curtly as he held out a hand to help Link up to his feet. "Yer clothes are sitting on the shelf, hurry up and get suited up, we have five minutes to get to morning formation before we're considered late!"

The prince let out a long yawn as he ran a hand through his loose hair and the other scratched his rear end. Stumbling over to the stack of clothes he was provided, he slipped them on, with his chainmail and a trainee tabard, but not before glancing at his crimson earrings and the pin that sat beside the clothes where he had taken them off the night before.

Impa had returned days ago with a few gifts and a letter from Zelda, making him bawl his eyes out in front of her as he read it and looked at what she made for him. She had gone to the king and suggested he be moved to the knights' ward after catching him moping around his room and sniffing her pillow one evening. To a degree, it had helped, but there still was this deep-seated yearning that had taken root in his heart.

"Y'know, I've seen ya look fondly at those several times. Ya got a lady friend Pr-err, Link?" Cass caught his slip up and corrected himself before the prince could flash a scowl his way.

"They're from my fiancee, my father arranged for us to be wed in a little under two years," he sighed and threaded his flaming red hoops into his pierced earlobes, "She is away for the time being with the Sheikah clan. Since she was a slave and an orphan when I bought her freedom, Impa adopted her and has taught her a few things. Trust me, she can easily kick most of our asses- I never could win against her when we spared," he pinned his lapel pin into the collar of his undershirt.

"Oh… I gotcha," Cass simply replied to his roommate.

"Speaking of which… your accent. It's not from around here, huh?" Link spoke hurriedly as they jogged out to the training grounds.

"Is it that obvious? Well, I came from the Faron region."

Link nodded, "Yeah you've got a bit of… twang in your voice I guess? Farmer turned knight?"

"Ya got me, my folks have a nice ranch just outside the big woods, south of Hyrule field. It took every rupee they had to send me here to have a better life than they ever could."

"Tell you what, if we survive this and I succeed my father, I'll make you my right-hand man and put in a good word with Cap. Is that incentive enough?"

Cass let out a hearty laugh and ruffled Link's caramel locks up, "Appreciate the gesture, but I wanna make it there on my own merit, if ya get my drift?"

"Absolutely," Link bumped fists with him as they quietly fell into formation and hoped that Cap didn't notice their sudden appearance.

Unfortunately for the both of them, Cap _had_ noticed during roll call, and they were punished with laps around the grounds and packing up once everyone was done for the day.

Soon, the sun was setting, and the two boys had their work completed. Cap came up to talk to them.

"Cass, how's the new roommate treating you? Not giving you too much trouble, I hope?"

"What? I haven't been trouble!" Link looked at the two incredulously.

Cass scoffed, crossed his arms and rolled his eyes at the remark, "Famous last words, Link. I had to flip yer mattress again for the third time this week. It still befuddles me as to how Lady Impa managed to do this for years."

And that sentence made Cap let out a bellowing laugh, "I see, same old, same old there, amirite?"

Link didn't say any more, but stood scowling in a huff, as they prodded.

"Aww, c'mon kiddo, we're only teasing. But the running has got to be doing some good for you boys."

"Good as in turning my legs into limp noodles? I don't think I would consider that 'good'…" the prince quipped back.

"It just says how much you've been pampered, Link. As they say, it'll get better before yer a grandpa," Cass quickly countered before Cap could speak.

"Well, it seems that his majesty's and my choice was spot on, glad to see you two hitting it off so well. Tomorrow is the trainees day off, and the grounds are going to be locked. Everyone is to rest up, and that means NOT using the sacred blade, am I clear?"

"Yes sir," both boys mumbled to their superior.

"Perhaps you can have Link tag along with to visit your family's ranch tomorrow. I'm sure you've been itching to see them again, amirite Cass?"

"Really? But wouldn't being with the crown prince draw attention to us?" Cass thought about it for a moment.

"I'm sure you can keep it on the down low," he quickly turned and whispered to Link, "Make sure to keep your gloves on, and your birthmark stays hidden, clear?"

Link nodded. The Triforce was a well-guarded secret of the royal family, and in the old days, it was coveted by men with wicked hearts, nearly leading to the kingdom's downfall.

"Now, you two hurry off and grab some grub in the mess hall. I heard the cook brought in some of the first mead of the season, so it's probably gonna get rowdy in there later tonight. In no way am I encouraging you two to get in on it, but since it's your day off tomorrow, I will let it slide," He winked and pushed the boys towards the gates. "I'll lock up soon so get a move on."

The two boys glanced at each other with stupefied looks.

"Mead…?" Link asked

"As in hooch?"

"Are we old enough to have some..? Have you had some before?"

"A couple o' times, but just a taste at most…" Cass chuckled when he admitted to it. "How 'bout yerself?"

Link shook his head and sighed, "Father never let me near it, and Impa would _kill_ me if she saw me drunk…"

"Well, I guess this is gonna be a first for the both of us then… c'mon let's get going before they run out at least" Cass smiled, smacked Link's back and dashed towards the mess hall, "Race ya there!"

"In your dreams Cass!" Link took off in a sprint and the two boys were neck and neck to the hall.

As they opened the heavy doors, the scents of roasted meats and vegetables, and fresh bread wafted out, making the boys salivate at the delicious meal that was awaiting them. Of course there were a few large barrels near the bar full of the first batch of mead for the season, and other fully-fledged knights that were gathered around, filling goblets and mugs with the rare delicacy.

Both boys went and heaped their platters full of a variety of meats, vegetables and breads. Bashfully, they grabbed their clean mugs and joined the crowd around the kegs.

Not one of the older men batted an eye when the younger ones wanted in on the treat, rather, they encouraged it, much to Link and Cass' surprise. They grabbed their hard beverages, returned to their seat and tucked into their meals.

"So, this is mead, huh? Smells much more… medicinal than I thought," Link took a sniff, and a soft pout played over his curiosity was getting the better of him.

"The first sip's the hardest to get past, then it goes down pretty smooth, at least that's what pops says," Cass explained as he sipped slowly on the frothy drink. Some of the foam clung to the top of his lip, making Link chuckle. "Give it a try already, c'mon!"

"Alright, alright. Don't need to twist my arm any further," Link joked, bringing the mead up to his lips and taking a gulp. It was sweet like honey, but it had bitter tasting undertones on his breath, making him cough once he swallowed it, feeling its warmth slide down his throat and settling into his stomach. "Goddess, that's dry."

"That's the point Link, keep drinkin' now," Cass sighed and guzzled his drink quietly, waiting for the Prince to do the same.

Just as Cass said, it slid down his gullet much easier than before, and before he noticed, his mug was soon empty, "Wow… that… was easy."

Minutes later, Link could feel the blood pooling in his cheeks, and his mind was noticeably fuzzy feeling, but Cass urged him to refill his mug before the barrels ran dry, after which the knights would be stuck in a drought before the next shipment came in. Sometimes it could be months before they saw that delicacy grace them with its presence once more.

The two boys went back to their seats with a mug in each hand, giggling and snorting, and making it very obvious to anyone looking at them that they were starting to fall under the alcohol's spell.

"So did ya do it yet with yer lady, Link?" Cass asked out of the blue, both boys inebriated from the booze.

"Hell no, I wanted to, honestly, but-"

"No 'buts' Link, ya better claim her before somebody else does yer job!"

Link let out a deep growl, making it very clear the booze was speaking and not his highness, "The fuck is wrong with you?"

Cass blinked with a deadpan look on his face; that was the first time he heard that come flying out of Link's mouth, "Nothing, you'd better watch yer princely ass if I was ya. Y'hear?"

The look in the prince's eyes turned piercing and cold, "You dare to fucking challenge me? I am your prince, you asshole!"

"Yada, yada… that's all I hear. Yer all bark 'n no bite, time to grow some balls there, chief," Cass smirked and the features on his face noticeably darkened. Somehow, he was sadistically enjoying this. Who knew the prince had this side to his personality, "An' who taught you to cuss? Better watch out 'cause Lady Impa is gonna wash that mouth out with a bar of soap, if yer not careful."

"Who the fuck cares? You. Me. Outside. Now." Link growled once more, finishing his pint, slamming it back onto the table. He clambered to the door in his drunken state, the room spinning, and everything was coated in a haze.

Cass obliged, not feeling quite so buzzed as his companion was, and apologized to the other patrons for the outburst. Several light chuckles could be heard throughout the mess hall, only fueling the drunken rage inside the prince.

Link was fighting with the door, trying to wrench it open. Suddenly he banged on it in his frustration, and Cass walked up behind him to twist the knob, "I knew that you dumbass."

"If I'm the dumbass who opened the door ya couldn't, what does that make ya?"

Link looked at him, spinning his wheels for something to counter his statement, but found nothing appropriate, "Nothing, absolutely fucking nothing."

"That's right ya spoiled little rich boy! Now we've both had too much to drink, let's get back to our cell-"

"Dang it, Cass! Why are you the wet blanket? Zelda is MY WOMAN! Lay a finger on her, and I'll make sure something will be missing when you wake," Link glared and punched a sloppy fist into Cass' chest.

Cass took a moment to look, and Link's eyes welled up with tears, "Now, now. Don't ya start cryin', nobody likes a tear jerker y'know," he ran a hand up into Link's messy locks and ruffled them up, "We need to get some medicine, cause tomorrow is gonna be hell, let's head to the infirmary and grab it before we sleep."

Link sniffled, wiping his tears, and quietly followed his roommate back to their quarters.

Once they returned, the two boys stripped off their soiled clothes and threw on their nightwear for the evening.

"Pops told me that it's best to sleep together if yer drunk with a buddy- in case something happens y'know?"

Link nodded slowly as he pulled up his pajama bottoms, leaving his chest bare, strangely was staying quiet after his rage dissipated, something that both were not used to.

"So yer just gonna sleep like that? Aren't ya cold?" Cass asked, trying to break the silence in the room, but all Link did was shake his head, his eyes glazed over with exhaustion and alcohol.

"C'mon, I'll sleep with ya since the hooch's hit ya a bit harder," Cass plopped down onto Link's mattress, patting the spot right next to him.

Link wobbled over, and rather than sitting upright- he planted his face directly into the sheets. Earning a chuckle from his roommate that was also inebriated, "Y'know yer almost cute when yer quiet…"

Finally, Link broke his silence, "I'm taken already… and Zelda would skewer you… or worse- chase you to the ends of the kingdom."

Cass chuckled, hearing the prince quip back in his half-awake state. A moment later to glance down, he saw Link's breathing even out as he remained with his face buried in the bedding, "Ya sleeping yet?"

"No…" Link trailed off.

"Tell me more about Lady Zelda, don't skimp out on any details, I wanna hear them all if I'm to be yer right-hand man," He nudged the sleepy prince, and forcing him to roll over so he could speak clearly.

Link spent some time recounting their backstory, and what she was like to him. Most of his comments were eliciting chuckles from his roommate, but at this point, Link was too tired to care whether to beat Cass into submission or not, though he doubted if he could do it anyways.

He went on and on till he drifted off, and Cass pulled the blankets over the two of them.

In his sleep, Link wrapped his arms around Cass and snuggled closer to the heat source, sighed and mumbled sleepily, "Zel...da…"

"Yer such a hopeless romantic, Lady Zelda is lucky to have ya, Link. Take good care of her, y'hear?" The last part was rhetorical, mostly because he knew the Prince was fast asleep against him, but he saw how devoted his prince was to his bride-to-be, making him just a little jealous, "You've got it easy, everything is laid out for ya… and here's me trailblazing my own fate. G'night, Link. Sleep well… and now I need to remember to wake before dawn, so we can make it before lunchtime. Ma is gonna be stoked to hear the good news," He chuckled to himself before letting the alcohol lead him to his dreams.


	12. Chapter 12- Home

The next morning, the morning sun peeked through the tiny window in their quarters in the knight's barracks. Link awoke to the light burning through his eyelids and a shooting pain through his head.

He gasped when noticed that he was stuck, his face smothered in warm cloth. They did drink. Cass was in his bunk. With him. And ailed with a hangover nonetheless. A first for him by many standards, and the memories past the couple of mugs of mead were hazy at best.

Luckily Link knew that Cass slept very soundly, so he wriggled out from his near vice-like grip to sit up. He noticed that there was a pitcher of water sitting on his desktop, poured himself a glass to quench his thirst and tended to some of his texts that piled up, bundled in a blanket as he read.

A few hours later and there was a rap at the door, waking Cass and making him fall to the bed and Link jumped in his seat after his train of thought was derailed.

"Guys, ya still there?" came a soft female voice from the otherside.

"Yeah…" both boys replied in unison.

"Dressed?" the voice spoke hesitantly.

Cass and Link turned to each other rolled their eyes and groaned under their breath, "Yes, Mickey."

A quick heave of the door and in came the timid girl, Mikaela, or as she preferred Mickey, or even Mick. She was one of the Dragoon trainees, the platoon of lady knights who where well known throughout the kingdom for their deadly lance techniques along with their seduction and elimination of countless enemies of the crown, true fem fatales, and besides the royal guard, this group of girls and women are revered by the people.

She came in with her casual clothes- a simple, burgundy, knee-length dress, and leggings with leather belts securing everything in place along with her riding boots. Her fiery hair was braided and rested on her shoulder with a lacy ribbon holding it together. A glance at the boys told her they just woke up and were still in their pajamas.

"Top o' the mornin' to ya Mick," Cass yawned with a sleepy smile.

"Morning Mickey…" Link managed to get out after smoothing his nerves from his spook moments ago.

"Cap said it's everyone's day off right? I heard you're heading back home Cass, and bringing Milord with too?"

"Right ya are…I need to spend some time in the wide open spaces of my home… and since our guest of honor is stayin' with us for some time- it'd do him some good him some good to get outta the castle for a bit." Cass sneered at the prince who finally got up from his desk to frown and cross his arms- a good sign that he was being showered with unwanted attention.

"Mickey," Link sighed exasperatedly, "Just drop the title, I'm not going to take offense if you just want to call me just Link."

"But I can't d-do that!" She stammered out, "I-it's disrespectful!"

Her response to his request made him sigh once more. Link pinched the bridge of his nose as he remembered Cass was like that when they first met, and he finally broke the habit.

The look of frustration made Mickey feel like she was walking on eggshells around him, "D-did I say something to anger y-you?"

"No… Just remember, I'm in-training as you are. Right now we are equals, and I prefer to not have the extra attention brought upon myself…"

"Easy there, chief…" Cass clasped a palm to Link's shoulder "It's somethin' she will hafta get used to."

Immediately, Link let out yet another sigh, relaxing his shoulder under Cass's hand, "Right, sorry Mickey… I have more pressing things on my mind."

"Is is Lady Zelda?" she asked bluntly, a strong trait of hers, and scary how she always managed to hit the nail on the head.

Link simply nodded as he averted his gaze away bashfully.

"Aww, yer worried about her…" Cass teased when his elbow nudged Link in the side, which rewarded him with a scowl from the Prince, who still has a throbbing headache.

"I think it's sweet of you, Prince. I'm sure she's feeling the same." Mickey soothed him in her calming tone with the sweetest of smiles- guaranteed to melt the coldest of hearts in to a lump of putty, "Oh! I nearly forgot! Since ya guys haven't left yet, mind if I tag along with? I wanna see your family's ranch too! They've produced some of the best steeds for the knights in all the kingdom."

Cass chucked, embarrassed from the complements stroking his ego, rubbing the underside of his nose to show his pride in his family's work.

"Careful, Mickey. Anymore swelling and his head might pop." Link prodded back at Cass for earlier.

Mickey chuckled at the two roommates, "You two would make the weirdest of brothers."

"What?" They replied and gave her a funny look.

"Nothing, nevermind." She waved them off after giggling under her breath.

"Anyways…" Link steered the conversation back, "I wouldn't see why not. The more the merrier as Father would say. Cass what about you?"

"I'm sure Ma and Pops would be fine with another more company," He chuckled before speaking, "An' I'm sure my sibling's would be bouncin' off the walls too. This' a surprise visit after all…"

Mickey grabbed the two boys and smiled, "Thank you… both of you. You're too good to me."

Link's blanket, that had been wrapped around him all morning, slipped and fell to the floor.

"Pr-p-prince!" She yelped, sending sparks of electricity flying across her body, "You liar! For Hylia's sake, put a shirt on!"

"Alright, alright." He scrambled to find his shirt after he shook off the jolt shoot through his arm; grabbing the one he wore the night before, it smelled a little off, but it was better than nothing for the time being.

"Hey Mick, what's that? Those sparks. Where'd they come from?" Cass asked as he shook the tingling sensation from his arms as well.

"Sorry… I can't control it. They say I received Farosh's blessing when I was born, and it's triggered by strong emotions… and sometimes it's out of my control…" Mickey apologized, looking ashamed for hurting her newfound friends, " it kind of turned me into an outcast in my village, the dragoon's captain saw my potential and brought me on board."

"Oh… wait you mean- the Great Dragon of Faron? Is that the name? Farosh?" Link asked for more information.

Mickey nodded, "She's the guardian of the spring of courage, and she flys over the southern part of Hyrule."

Link nodded in understanding, he knew full well of what the ancient texts said about the three great dragons- Eindraal, Naydra, and Farosh. Fire, Ice, and Electricity respectively. But there was whispers in the texts saying something about a single person being blessed with the respective element and some degree of the dragon's physical strength in any generation he came across while reading. And when one is born with the gift, the power from their predecessor wanes till it is defunct.

"Well, what can you do with a gift like that?"Link asked once again, brow cocked and his interest piqued.

"Our captain is helping me develop my own signature move… and well… it's a work in progress."

"Can ya show it to us sometime?" Cass looked excitedly

"Well perhaps… when we head into Hyrule Field. I don't want to cause a commotion in the training grounds, or even Castle Town for that matter." She spoke and looked to the two boys for approval.

Both Link and Cass nodded.

"If you'd give us a few minutes to get ready, we'll be off then. We're still in our nightwear… eh heh heh…"Link chuckled awkwardly at his unkempt appearance.

"Oh! Right of course! Please do!" Mickey gasped and scurried out of their room.

The boys sighed, releasing the tension in their shoulders as they went to dig out some fresh clothes and pack their bags for a night's stay.

'Link, remember to dress down. Did ya need a hand with bandagin' your hand?"

The prince nodded throwing on a simple cerulean tunic over his white long sleeved undershirt, "If you would, I'd appreciate it."

Link held out the hand in question, letting Cass wrap it in linen cloth, and covered his birthmark entirely.

"There we go, that should do it…" Cass said as he secured the bandage for Link with a safety pin.

The prince slipped on his gloves, pressing the snaps down, and flexed his digits, "Yeah, thanks."

"Bring only what yer gonna need, we don't wanna weigh our horses down too much." Cass informed Link as he mussed up his raven hair, combing it out for the day.

Link fingered through his caramel locks and tied his up with a hair binder, nodding in reply to Cass, "I've just got the essentials in my knapsack." and pointed to said bag laying on his bed. He felt that it would be odd without the Master Sword within an arms reach, so he strapped on his holster with the blade secured.

Once they were dressed and proper for the day, the boys slung their bags over their shoulder, and locked their room, which surprised Link a bit.

Of course Cass noticed the confusion on the prince's face, "Last time I didn't lock up, those jackasses raided the room an' left it in shambles."

"Oh, makes sense," Link knew it was the other trainees he was referring to, "Better safe than sorry."

Mickey had been waiting with her bags packed and ready for riding, "Ya guys ready now?" She had two bags with her and what seemed to be her weapon that was slung across her shoulders, noticing the blade of evil's bane strapped to Link, "You must the itching to spar, huh?"

"I haven't had the opportunity to have a polearm user for a training partner. I know the blade has showed me it's memories on the subject, but I want to experience it first hand."

"Is that the only thing on your mind?Train- Wait… Whatcha mean 'the swords' memories'?"

Link shrugged and pulled the blade from its sheath as they walked to the stables, the holy metal shimmered in the morning sun, "It's sentient after all."

The blade flashed briefly against the sunlight, making Cass' and Mickey's eyes open wide in amazement, a soundless "Wow" escaped their lips.

"Sorry, I stand corrected, she is sentient."

"She?"

"The spirit of the sword, Fi. But it only seems that Zelda and I can only hear her voice."

"Well it makes sense, the hero and the blade are two sides of the same coin. Most of the legends say the sword calls to it's master when the kingdom is in need for a hero. When the daemon king plots to strike again." Mickey was rattling off the things she read in the history books.

"An' it's older than the kingdom itself. Some say it was crafted by the goddess for her chosen hero, which means…" Cass added his two cents in.

The trio reached the stables to find their mounts.

"Link yer gonna hafta share a ride with one of us, since you don't have yer own yet. How 'bout Mick?"

Mickey blushed as she straddled her saddle, "I-if you don't mind r-riding behind me…"

Link shook his head and climbed aboard the tan horse, settling behind Mickey, who was getting more and more flustered by the minute feeling the Prince sitting so close to her.

"Mickey, is everything alright? You know the horse can sense nervousness…" Link spoke softly and clasped a palm on her shoulder in hopes to calm her nerves.

But, alas, it didn't have that effect on her. Quite the opposite, actually. Shivers sped up and down her spine, along with jolts of electricity, zapping the Prince and making his hair stand on end.

But the horse didn't even flinch to the array of sparks. Merely glanced up at its rider to see if all was well.

"Now that's somethin'..." Cass spoke, "Never seen a horse that calm after bein' shocked like that."

"Yeah, she was given to me because of her calm disposition. Doesn't help she's functionally immune to my gift." Mickey replied as Link was still holding onto her in a stupor from the static shock barrage.

"Well, I think you'd behoove ya to get a move on while you're passenger is still stunned. Or he passed out, I'm not sure." Cass motioned to the Prince, "I'll take point, so flank me."

"Ah! Right!" She snapped the reins and spurred her horse into a full gallop, speeding behind Cass.

In no time at all, they were out of the vicinity of Castle Town, leaving the spires of the castle in the horizon. The mid-morning sun was hanging in the sky with a few cotton-like clouds dotting the baby blue backdrop. The roar of from the cicada choirs could easily be heard over the steady pounding of the horse's hooves on the dirt paths.

At high-noon, they stopped in a small grove of trees lining a pond for a break and to water the horses. Mickey unhitched a rather large sack from her collection of saddlebags as Link smoothed his hair down from the static charge.

"I made some lunch if either one of you two are hungry." Mickey smiled as she pulled out the lunch boxes, filled to the brim with hearty foods. The boys looked at it, drooling and stomachs rumbling their reply, "Well go on and dig in."

Without further hesitation, Link and Cass hastily took their boxes and dove into the food.

"Y'know… I don't think we've had breakfast." Cass spoke with his mouth full of food, and Link nodded in a simple reply as he was too busy shoveling his food.

Mickey watched the two of them in silence as she nibbled away at hers. She had ate before they took off, so she didn't have much of an appetite.

Link snarfed his share down first, and looked at Mickey's, "You going to finish that?"

She shook her head and handed it over to Link, who proceeded to devour it just like moments ago, "Who knew the prince had a bottomless pit for a stomach?"

Cass let out a snicker after he swallowed his last morsel of his meal and handed Mickey the empty box and Link glanced up to give them a funny look before returning to wolfing down his seconds; which made them laugh even harder, and made Link set his meal down.

"I can't help it, I've been hungry all the time as of late." Link scowled at them.

"Ya must be growing then, just don't over do it where ya don't fit into yer britches there chief." Cass returned the scowl

"I don't think Lady Zelda wants to see her husband-to-be on the chubby side."

"Guuyysss," Link whined.

"Y'know we're kiddin' right? 'Sides, ya don't like showing off yer scrawny body, even if it's been blazin' hot during training." Cass nudged Link in the side with a wink.

"Hey! I have muscle! You just can't see it…" The prince pouted as he quickly flexed his lanky arms in front of them, getting another round of laughs from Mickey and Cass.

"Hey wait I think I see something!" Mickey spoke half-jokingly.

"Wait, I think she's right!"

Link groaned as he rolled his eyes at the two of them, "Come on, can't you drop it?"

"Can't ya take a joke chief?" Cass casually looked over to the sour prince and sighed, "Y'know once yer king and all, you've gotta have a thicker skin than this."

Link sulked a bit more knowing he did have a point as Mickey placed a palm on his shoulder, and spoke in her calming tone, "You do know he has a point, now just relax, it'll come someday, but you probably have to work harder than the rest of the guys to get your desired result."

Again, the prince nodded to Mickey, and relaxed the tension he carried in his shoulders.

"That's better, now keep your chin up, alright?" Mickey spoke soothingly.

Link sighed as both him and Cass stood back up to get the horses from the pond's edge. Mickey went ahead and packed away the empty containers back into the sack it came from. The trio saddled back up and pressed onward to their destination.

"Hey I can see the ranch in the distance! We aren't too far away now!" Cass shouted as he peered across the southern horizon, and took off at his steed's top speed.

"Cass! Wait up!" Mickey followed suit with her horse, making Link grip the creature's sides even more firmly as the bouncing morphed into a strange gliding feeling as they came across some machinery harvesting and baling up the dried hay in the fields into tight bundles of fodder.

Suddenly Cass' steed leapt over the fence into the pen with the other horses, and Mickey spurred hers to pick up speed to jump it as well, easily clearing it with two passengers aboard it's back.

The three of them dismounted leaving their horses in the care of a few of the ranch hands. As they left the pen, a few people came up to greet Cass. Link and Mickey followed him close behind as to not draw attention to themselves, but it wasn't so easy for Link. A few of them recognized the young prince and came to gawk and compliment him to earn his favor- something he really despised, but he put on a facade to hide his displeasure.

After sometime talking with the helpers, Cass guided them to the farm house on the other side of the stables, stopping just short of the door before it flew open.

"Hiya pops, I'm home." Cass greeted the hulking figure at the door.

Link looked up at the towering man.

"Cap sent word that we have an important guest-" His eyes met Link's and went wide with disbelief, "The Prince?!"

"Well, long story short, it basically was my father's idea." Link smiled with an awkward chuckle from the attention.

"Pardon me, where's my manners? I'm Roland," He pushed past Cass and shook the prince's hand wildly to the point where Link swore his arm would fall off from the sheer force, "How's my boy been to ya? Not being a burden?"

"P-pleasure's m-mine," Link stumbled over his words as he was thrown around, "Actually quite the opposite, he's been keeping me in line."

Roland let go of his hand finally, letting out a hearty laugh as he smacked the Prince squarely on his back, "Not much meat on dem bones, eh? I'm sure my wifey's cooking will fix that."

The towering man pushed the three of them into the house and into the dining room, "Honey! We've got special guests! Let's have a feast tonight!"

A petite woman came around from the parlor, and the resemblance to Cass was uncanny, "Guests? Who is it dear?"

Her eyes flew open just as Roland's did moments earlier, rushing up to give Cass a warm hug, "You didn't say you were coming! And you brought the crown Prince?!"

Cass turned to Link and whispered into his ear, "This be my ma, Clara."

"Oh! It's nice to meet you ma'am." Link bowed his head quickly towards her.

"Please, just Clara! No need to be formal with us Prince."

"Same here."

"Cass be a dear and find your siblings, I think I saw Hermann tending to his horse if you want to say Hi to him."

"No, he saw me. I don't feel like speakin' to him right now." Cass looked away. Something in his eyes said that there was something going on between them that ran pretty deep.

Clara came to ruffle his hair lovingly, "That's fine, the little ones are upstairs doing their school work. They've missed you sweetheart. Go on and make yourself known."

Cass smiled sweetly at his mother and spun on his heel as he ran to the staircase and disappeared, leaving Link and Mickey with his parents.

"Well, come on pull up a chair and stay awhile. Dinner will be ready shortly."

The both of them pulled up a seat at the dining table, spending some time to talk with Roland and Clara till Cass returned with his younger siblings.

"So, I heard the news that you're engaged to Lady Zelda? Have you bedded her yet?"

Link choked as he took a sip of water, hitting his chest with a couple of firm swings and coughed a few times to clear his throat, and made Cass' parents chuckle from the Prince's honesty, "N-news travels fast, huh?"

Everyone but Link gave nods in reply which made the Prince turn brighter than the reddest rupee.

"Anyways, is there something between Cass and his older brother or is it just me?" Mickey asked.

"Hermann is his older brother, and he is the one that gets to inherit the farm once our time has passed," Clara spoke with a heavy heart, "Cass always loved the farm, the horses, everything. But once we said that it was going to Hermann, Cass decided to dive into knighthood. I saw him training most nights in the dark woods."

"An' that's where Honey mentioned to me that my boy changed his mind, and was now aspirin' to become a knight, I used erry rupee we had to send him off." Roland piped in to finish.

"Oh… that makes sense. Why he's so diligent…" Link murmured, "He told me he wants to make the top rank with his own accomplishments. Even when I offered to put in a good word to Cap about him."

"He's always been like that, ever since he was a small child. His way or no way at all- hated being seen as a charity case." Clara smiled softly.

"Don't you worry your little head, tiny Prince. He's a tenacious one." Roland added.

"Yeah, I know. A few days ago, he threw a bucket of freezing water on me to wake me up cause he couldn't shake me awake." Link scowled at the memory of the incident.

"Well, did it work?" Roland bursted out in a hearty laugh.

"Yes. Yes it did."

Link's answer only encouraged the rest of them to join in the laughter.

Not too long later, dinner was done cooking, Cass was at the table with the other children, and the spread could nearly put the average meal at the castle to shame. The aromas of everything tickled the Prince's nose, making him salivate from just the sight and smell of the feast ahead of him.

This was a bit of a different experience for the prince, as it was a free for all. One had to be quick with their decisions or be left hungry or unsatisfied for the night.

Luckily Link picked up on the procedure, and grabbed anything that looked scrumptious, even leaving their hosts in awe with how much he could pack away in that scrawny body of his.

Everyone ate till the platters were picked clean, leaving everyone more than satiated with their share. Mickey helped Clara clean up the dirty dishes.

Cass brought Link up to his room in the attic, and they sat upon the roof and watched the sunset. Mickey soon joined them after she was done helping, and they watched the first twinkles of starlight against the pitch black backdrop.

It was sometime they spent watching the stars together before the exhaustion settled in.

Mickey took Cass' bedroom as the two boys pitched a tent to sleep in.

"G'night, Link. See ya in the morning."

"Mhmm, same to you Cass, and Zelda…" Link mumbled as he let the sleep take him, the gentle evening breeze blew over his face making it all the easier to drift off into the realm of dreams.


	13. Chapter 13 New Sensation

Link awoke to the sight of Zelda sleeping next to him in his chambers once again. He just watched her serene face as the sun flowed into the room and bathed the two in warm light. The prince brushed her bangs out of her eyes, feeling the soft strands tease the pads of his fingers.

A glance down and Link saw her in what he assumed was her summer nightie. It was made of a sheer cloth, held up by some lacy straps across her shoulders. His eyes roamed down till he saw that he, himself was completely bare under the blankets. The young prince's breath escaped as he choked.

 _Did… did we really just…?!_

He noticed he had no control over his body when he reached down and felt the strange ache. He'd felt it before when he saw her in clothes that left little to the imagination. It was as if all of his blood rushed down from his brain, making his heart flutter and his mind felt pleasantly dizzy.

She awoke and murmured words that he couldn't make out as he leaned closer to figure out what she wanted from him. Suddenly he was taken for surprise when she pulled him by the sideburns into a searing kiss.

The prince tried to make some noise in protest, but not a sound was made, and his will was fading fast as he melted to her mischief. Her hands were playing with his cheeks, pressing and squishing them under her palms. Sure, it weirded him out a little, but this was Zelda. Zelda was the one that was daring enough to try something different.

But when did they get this far in their relationship?

Link was soon relenting to her as she had pinned him to the bed in the blink of an eye. Seeing her eyes traverse down his bare torso till she saw her prize sent shivers of excitement and thrill through his spine. He was ready and certain about this. He took a deep breath and-

"Yeowch!"

Link was thrown awake when a fist made clean contact with his jaw. Opening his eyes, he saw Cass thrashing around in his sleep right next to prince sighed, seeing not his chambers nor the knight's dormitory, but a shabby room after remembering their trip from the day prior.

Gee thanks Cass, right when it got good...

Getting up after feeling he would be unable to fall back asleep due to the annoying sensation low in his stomach, the half asleep prince meandered down to the dining room.

He saw that Mickey was up already and helping Cass' family prepare brunch for everyone. She turned around and immediately noticed the sleepy prince, giggling at his unkempt appearance, "Morning, Prince. Did you sleep well?"

Link nodded as a long deserved yawn escaped him, "Mhmm… Thanks," He paused as he smelled the food cooking on the woodstove, "What's for breakfast?"

"Bacon and fresh eggs from the coop. How'd you liiii-" Mickey stopped suddenly as her eyes caught a glimpse of something she shouldn't have seen, making her screech and hide her face along with her spreading blush from Link.

The prince quirked a brow, chancing a look at his body to ease his growing curiosity.

Link saw something had pitched a tent in his pajama bottoms. Quickly, he rubbed his eyes to do a second take and he knew immediately.

"Oh shit, shit, shit…!" Link cursed under his breath before speaking up a little more, "I...I…I-I… I'm sorry! I'm gonna go to the bathroom! Save some food for me!"

Now that he was certainly awake and alert, the prince made for a mad dash to the bathroom, drawing up a cold bath and sat down to clean up in utter embarrassment as he waited for it to subside.

"Hylia, smite me now…" The young prince muttered to his lonesome as he saw the mast fall limp against him, "Even Zelda hasn't seen that…"

Link quietly murmured a few other things to himself as he scrubbed himself clean. Once he was done, he dressed down, wrapping his birthmark up before returning back down to the dining table for breakfast.

Cass sat next to the Prince and gave him a nudge in his side with a wily grin, "Heard ya were bein' a lady killer this mornin', chief."

"Wh-what?! No! Why'd you say that?!" Link hissed out under his breath.

Cass sneered at him with a glint in his eye, "Y'got Mick into a tizzy, said she saw somethin' embarrassin' on ya…Wonder what it could've been..."

"Not. Another. Word. Cass." He growled, punctuating his point.

Cass snorted, knowing he got a rise out of the young prince, "Fine. I'll just ask Mick for the details." He turned to Mick, who kept her eyes glued to her plate the entire time, "Hey Mick! What did ya see this morning again?"

She gasped in surprise. Then suddenly the air was charged with static electricity, evident by how everyone's hair was standing on end.

"Cass. Stop. Do you want to get zapped again? Cause I sure don't. I'll tell you what you want to know. Later. Now," Link glanced over to the shell shocked Mickey, "We need to calm her down," He nodded his head to the sight of Cass' frizzy black hair.

Cass looked up and saw Link's long caramel hair was going in every which direction but flat, "Oh, right…" Turning back to Mick he put on an awkward smile, "Sorry 'bout that Mick, forget about it."

She finally relaxed with a sigh, and the static dissipated. After they combed out the charge out of their hair did the two boys finally relax and finish their breakfast.

Everyone excused themselves and went outside to get some fresh air. This was something new for the young prince, so he spent some time just meandering the ranch, looking at all the steeds they had boarded there. He wandered over to the small barn to look at the other farm animals that were housed inside- chickens and other fowl, pigs, goats, sheep, a few milking cows along with a few barn cats and a litter of young kittens.

While the hay made his nose itch and his eyes water a little, it didn't deter him from playing with the kittens, who were wound up with energy.

After having his fill of sniffles and itching, he left the barn and continued his exploration. Link noticed the kittens following him around as he ventured, but he didn't mind. Rather, he enjoyed the company. He stopped and saw a small hut built next to the farmhouse and over the entrance was a nameplate.

Link read the carving muttering out loud, "Lady…?"

A four-legged shadow emerged from inside and pounced on the prince, greeting him with a slobbery tongue. Luckily the kittens were out of the way when Link fell to the ground.

It took him a second to figure out who or what it was that took him for surprise. A fairly large dog with black and white markings came out and was licking him, its tail was wagging to and fro at a fast pace, panting and let out a "boof" when they made eye contact.

"Oh! It's a Hylian Collie!" He gushed, "I've only seen them down in Castle Town before. And your fur- it's sooo soft and silky!"

Link pet the dog and buried his face in the soft coat. The dog seemed to enjoy the attention immensely. The kittens weren't afraid of the large dog and came up to tug on Link's hair and nip his ears.

He sneezed between giggles as the dog's tongue tickled his skin, "Alright, alright. I'm happy to meet you too Lady…"

He got back up onto his feet, and the animals continued to follow him.

Link ducked back inside the house to grab a bottle of cold milk from their icebox and came back out, leaning on the hitching post as he watched Cass and Mickey spar. The kittens rubbed up against his leg and mewled for attention and the dog was content to lay down in the grass at his feet.

It was something else to see, Cass, who favored dual wielding two short swords, against Mickey, who was a formidable lancer.

As he could see, it took every ounce of stamina to dodge and parry Mickey's heavy thrusts and swings. But in the same sense, Mickey was swiftly deflecting every swipe of Cass' twin blades, her deft fingers twirling her lance into a protective shield.

"Hmm… Looks like they're pretty well matched…" Link murmured from his vantage point, taking a sip from the bottle in his hand.

"I wouldn't count yer chickens, Prince."

Link turned to see who it was. To his surprise, it was Roland who snuck up behind him to observe.

The prince quickly snapped his head back to the duel. Suddenly there was that feeling from breakfast that morning, where everything felt charged. He quietly mouthed "Oh,no" and kept his eyes glued to the action unfolding before him.

Mickey was surrounded with sparks, and she leapt up into the skies- far more than the average person could. Her foot balanced on her lance for a brief moment and the electricity cloaked the lance. Gravity soon came back into reality as she drove the tip of her lance to the ground like a ton of steel as lightning rained down and spread out a decent radius around her causing the ground to tremble even from the Prince's safe distance away.

Link held onto the post to balance himself as he watched with eyes wide open at what he just witnessed. Cass was a smart enough fellow to make a break for it when it seemed that he noticed the static building in the air.

As they waited for the smoke and dust to clear, they saw a circle around her razed to the ground. Some of the patches of longer grass was still lit aflame, and Mickey quickly rushed over to stamp it out before anything else caught fire.

"Whoaa…." The prince saw the destruction and was awestruck from the beauty of it.

Mickey quickly ran over to give Cass a hand up before they turned back to the homestead, catching a glance of their spectators in the distance.

Link gave a wild wave when they came his way with a big smile on his face.

"Whatcha think 'bout our fine performance, chief?" Cass spoke and pulled the Prince into a sweaty headlock.

Link tried his hardest to squirm out of it, "Looks… to me like you got your ass handed to you… by a _girl_ nonetheless."

"Aw, shut yer trap." Cass groaned and drilled a knuckle into Link's scalp, making the prince squirm away more so till he broke free from the hold.

Suddenly, there was a few farmhands that rushed over to the group, "Boss!"

Roland turned around, "What happened?"

"One of the mares! She… she got spooked! And we can't seem to get her to calm down!" they somehow managed to get out their words between their panting.

Link, being the only one that wasn't spent, bolted over to the horse pen as fast as his legs could carry him. Cass soon followed behind him after catching his second wind.

Quickly, the Prince leapt over the fence to the scene in the center of the pen. A chocolate brown horse was thrashing about, surrounded by the other farmhands trying to soothe the beast. He took a chance as he weaved through the others and jumped up on to the horse, barebacked. He did his best to use his soothing tones as he rode through every attempt to buck him off.

On and on, he went up and down as it threw up a stomping tantrum. Strangely, there was an odd sense of nostalgia for this. He never rode a horse before, let alone been in close contact with one like this. Something about this feeling bothered him because he couldn't put his finger on it.

Something finally gave, and the horse calmed down to his antics. And like a natural, Link tugged on it's mane letting it clop around the pen till he hopped off, his legs sore from never using them in such a manner before.

Cass stood there at the other side of the fence with a stunned look, like there was something wrong with his face.

"Mission Accomplished." Link mumbled to himself, dusting off his hands as he wobbled over to the fence, till he saw Cass' face and asked him with a puzzling look in response, "Hmm? Something wrong Cass?"

"That was….amazin'! Yer a natural!" Cass shouted as he bounced up and down excitedly, "The way ya just jumped on! Either yer crazy or brave, cause ya coulda been kicked right in the face, chief!"

The prince shrugged awkwardly and scratched the back of his neck, "I was doing what I felt was the right thing to do, even overlooking the consequences for being so foolish."

"But that's the one we could never tame, even as a foal, she was feisty." Cass clapped his hands on Link's shoulders, shaking his gently to emphasize his point, "That's not all-! Look behind ya!"

Link felt a wet muzzle nudge his back and he turned around to see that the mare had followed from where he hopped off moments earlier, "You must like me huh?"

"Well… it's like the sayin' goes, the master doesn't pick the steed, but the other way 'round."

"Pops!" Cass turned around to see that Roland caught up with them and saw the scene unfold.

"Wait...! Are you?" Link spun around when the words sunk in, leaving a dumbfounded look upon his face with his mouth hanging open, "No, I can't possibly…!"

"It's the first time I've seen that horse approached anyone, let alone let anyone ride on her back. Let's face it- youse be doin' me a favor, along with that kitten following ya…" Roland spoke before pointing down at a grey tabby kitten with a crimson nose and green eyes, "Looks like ya gotta penchant for animals, Prince. Go ahead and keep him too, think of it as a gift in celebration for yer engagement."

The prince picked up the kitten and cradled it in his arms, excitement and gratefulness bubbling up within him, making him tear up from the overwhelming emotions. He nodded to Roland and spoke with a happy yet broken voice, "Thanks, I appreciate it."

"C'mon chief! No need to get emotional from it! Pop's raises the best horses for the kingdom!" Cass puffed out his chest with a big smile as he clapped a hand on Link's shoulder.

"From what Cass has told me, you haven't received a steed of yer own like the other recruits. 'Nd sides, ya'll take this rascal off my hands. E'rybody wins." Roland thought about it for a moment.

"Well… if you're sure about it, I'll accept." The Prince said bashfully, his free hand nervously fidgeting with the bottom hem of his tunic as the kitten played with one of his long sideburns.

Cass turned west and noticed the afternoon sun hanging lower and lower in the sky, "Hey chief, we probably should head back to the castle before Cap notices we're late."

Link's eyes followed Cass' and he noticed too, "Right, I want to take my steed out for a preliminary run. But first-" He bolted to the farmhouse in a full sprint. The kitten still in his arms, clinging to his tunic with it's claws dug into the fabric, "Race you there Cass!"

"Aww, f-" Cass stopped before he let the wrong word slip and started chasing him, "Frick! Link that's cheap!"

All Link could do at that point was laugh between his panting as he barreled through the front door and dashed up the stairs, only catching his breath when he sat down to gather his things. Cass soon came up and was worse for wear, collapsing onto his bed to take a quick rest.

Once everyone was packed and the horses were readied to go, they grabbed a quick dinner before heading northbound to the castle. Mickey heard the news about Link's new steed. The kitten took a ride in Link's tunic while they rode, fearing that it could slip out of the saddlebags and fall out.

They arrived sometime later at the outskirts of Castle Town, just before the sun set completely behind the silhouette of the castle. The trio of horses cantered over to the knight's stables where the stable boys took them under their wing.

Mickey parted from Link and Cass, heading towards the dragoon's wing of the barracks after bidding the two boys a good night.

The boys quietly crept to their dorm room as to not wake anyone.

But their efforts were in vain. Cap was wide awake and standing before their dorm room, arms crossed and glaring hotly at the two boys, who were cowering from the sight.

"Do ya have any idea what time it is?!" Cap hissed through his teeth in a low voice.

"No sir, sorry sir." was all the boys could respond with.

Cap let out a heavy sigh as the tension in his posture released, "It's fine. I'm glad ya made it back safely. Go on and get some rest. Training resumes tomorrow, bright and early. Clear?"

"Crystal. G'night sir." the boys mumbled as relief washed over them. Cass pulled the dorm key from his pocket and turned the lock to open the door. Luckily the room was unchanged from which they left it when they left. Link let the kitten out from under his shirt to explore the area of it's new home.

They threw their bags to a corner of their room,collapsed into their bunk beds, and fell asleep for the night, completely spent from the days activities.

Link was awoke the next morning with something cool but fuzzy pawing at his face, and a weight sitting heavy on his chest, making it harder to breathe.

Cracking open his eyes, he saw the kitten sitting on his chest with it's green eyes staring down at Link, trying to wake him up.

"Guess you're hungry, eh?" Link spoke softly, scratching the kitten under the chin as it purred from the attention.

He quickly glanced around the room, and saw that he woke up before Cass for once, and morning roll-call wasn't going to be for at least another hour if not two. So he slipped out of the room and headed for the bathhouse in the wing and scrubbed himself clean for the day, even if he might need to wash up once again once training was done for the day. The Prince snuck to the mess hall for a quick bite to eat and picked up something for his new pet.

He waltzed out to the grounds after making himself proper and gazed at the clouds in the sky, and soon turned back towards the dorms to drop off breakfast for both Cass and the kitten.

Looks like rain is coming in… *sigh* Definitely going to need another bath tonight… Now, what do I call you?

He looked at the kitten and pondered for a minute before a name popped up in his head, "Cloud."

That reminds me, I wonder how that mare survived the night in the stables? I haven't named them either…

He left the room, quietly closing the door behind him and turned down towards the stables.

The horse was where he left it the night before, quietly nibbling away at the manger full of hay that was left by the stable boys.

"Hey girl. How are you doing?" He spoke up as he approached the pen.

Link clicked his tongue a few times to get it's attention, and the mare turned it's head and trotted over to her new master. It let out a few soft knickers as it's muzzle nuzzled his chest, making him giggle.

The prince found a horse brush and jumped the fence of the pen, brushing it's coat and mane in nice, long strokes.

"I could get used to doing this, it's very relaxing…" He hummed as he groomed his steed, "Now what do I call you…"

He thought, and thought about it for several minutes, till out of nowhere, he blurted out to his surprise:

"Epona?"


End file.
